Crowned
by chicagochi4183
Summary: In 2015, Europe is still ruled by Kings and Queens, and the lives of Princes and Princesses are not their own. Between the scrutiny, the rules, and the gossip, it's a miracle if anyone can find love. But Principessa Isabella doesn't seek love, only duty. And when well laid plans fall through, it is her duty to Italy to secure her best possible match.
1. An Engagement

**A/N: I've been gone from this website for a long time, and I don't necessarily have a big excuse for why. I love writing, but between a few career-related struggles and then some big shifts in other areas of my life I stopped writing for a long while. Then the idea for a women's writing community wordlywomen dot org sparked in my head, and that took much more than I anticipated to launch. Now, I'm in a good place where I'm back on a consistent schedule working on both this story and my first novel, and both projects are progressing leaps and bounds. I'm finally ready to post this! This story is very different from Swansong in many ways, but hopefully if you like my writing you'll enjoy this project too.**

 **Alright - time to meet Principessa Isabella. And for me to remind you that I don't own these characters, only the situation I've placed them into.**

* * *

I remember the first time I realized I was supposed to marry Jacob. I was six, still too young to understand why people took pictures of me and my sister when we went to school. Still too young to realize that other little girls didn't travel in armored cars with two security guards, that they didn't have grown adults curtsy to them, that everyone's older brother wasn't home schooled. But I did understand that Jacob was my best friend, even though his Italian was terrible and we had to speak Spanish when he came to visit me. On one of these visits his mother Sarah whispered to my mother that she could already hear the wedding bells, and I just knew in that moment that she meant me and Jacob.

Around age nine or ten I was pulled from school to join Emmett in his private lessons. Emmett learned how to fight, and at fourteen he was just beginning to learn diplomacy. I began to learn all of the different ways to curtsy. I learned how to act at any and every formal event, from a birth to a death. A year later I was putting my new skills into practice, keeping control of Ines, my sister, at the funeral of Jake's mother. Even at eleven I was old enough to understand why mother didn't bring her "special friend" Phillippe to the funeral, and I had finally caught on to why there were a million flashes going off as we paid our respects.

I'm not going to wax poetic and complain about being a Princess. I know that there are people who have it far worse. I know that the Americans still call for Europe to adopt their so-called successful democracy. I know that there are people who are born into extreme poverty, and I am not so insensitive as to complain about being born into extreme wealth and status. All I can say is that, especially as the first daughter, I have always known how I should behave, and what is and isn't out of my control.

I was fourteen when I realized that I would never love Jacob. Don't get me wrong, Jacob was still one of my best friends. After Sarah died my mother loved to see me and Jacob together, and so did the public. Jacob and I would go for walks, pretending not to notice the cameras going off. We would go on vacations and service trips together. I was everything I was supposed to be – beautiful and quiet, and Jacob was tall, handsome, and headstrong. We were not a great match for lovers, but I didn't mind. How could I? Nobody I knew had married for love.

Sure, Sarah and William, Jacob's parents, had fallen in love over the course of their marriage. But while my father ruled the country with an iron fist, teaching Emmett the diplomacy he would need to command the respect of a nation, he did not rule my mother's bed. Phil was my mother's not-at-all-well-kept secret. Many people hated my mother for Phil, even as many more hailed and celebrated her for flipping the script and having a consort of her own to be in love with. All I knew was that my parents could be civil in public, and that was what mattered.

Everywhere I went with Jacob, Nessie would tag along. I didn't ever think anything of it. The entire world knew that Jacob and I were as good as betrothed. It was what my mother wanted, what his mother had wanted. We'd already made peace with it. Looking back, I can see that they always got along better than he and I. When he was angry, she knew how to calm him down. When she got all worked up, lost in her own world, he could bring her back down to Earth. Just a year and a half younger than me, Ines had her own spirit.

If I was the well-mannered, well behaved Italian princess, Nessie was the wildcard. She had my mother's auburn hair in contrast to mine and Emmett's brown. She was curvier than me, and dressed in more contemporary fashion. I was my father's princess: well groomed, neat, ladylike. Nessie was my mother's princess: headstrong, free-spirited, and modern. We are very different, and so in a way I almost should have seen it coming.

Shortly after my twentieth birthday Jacob came to visit my father. He had just turned twenty-one, and everyone knew what that meant. At twenty-one, the eldest child (or eldest male child in some countries) becomes eligible to take on their title. However, in most countries they must get married first. The tabloid headlines were ridiculous.

 **Spanish Earl comes to Claim his Bride!**

 **Three Cheers for the Spanish Wedding!**

 **Childhood Sweethearts to be Wed?**

Even though I didn't love Jacob, that's what we were considered. Childhood sweethearts. It was a story that had been painted our whole lives, and we both fit the bill. I was ready. My best friend Angela came to our estate the day Jake came to speak to my father. Because I was a higher station than him, me being a Princess and him an Earl, he had to formally ask my father for permission for my hand. Angela sat with me and Ines as we waited for my father to summon me to tell me that I was engaged.

"Bella, are you sure you're alright with this?" Angela asked. She and Ines were the only people who knew that I didn't love Jacob. It was my best kept secret.

"Of course I'm sure. I can't say no."

"You can." Ines said, with so much hope that it should have been my first clue. Instead, I shook my head.

"But why would I? This is a formality for something I've known my entire life."

"What if there's more out there for you?" Angela asked. I laughed.

"Angela, there is more out there for you. But for me, this is it. And I'm happy, I really am." And I was. The room grew silent again as we waited. I wondered what was taking so long, and if my father was having second thoughts.

"Did something go wrong?" Angela wondered out loud. Ines looked up suddenly, nervous. She moved over to me, joining me on the low loveseat I was sitting on.

"Bella, you love me right? That's never going to change?" I blinked at her, understanding.

"I will always love you Nessie. Being married is not going to change that."

"No, Bella I have something to confess." But it was too late. At that moment the door opened. Except, it wasn't a guard to bring me to accept Jacob's proposal. It was my father himself. And he looked livid. Angela immediately sprang to her feet, dipping into a low curtsey.

"Leave us." My father nodded to her, and she immediately excused herself from the room, along with the security who sat behind us in silence.

"Isabella, Ines, I need you to explain."

"Explain what?" I asked, just as Ines said "Bella doesn't know!" I stared at her.

"What don't I know?" I asked. My father was glaring at Ines, who was staring at me pleadingly. I looked between both of them, waiting for an answer.

"What, exactly, do I not know?" I asked, a bit more forcefully.

"Ines, why don't you tell your sister what you have done to her? To this family?"

"I didn't mean to." Ines had never been able to handle our father as well as I could, never understood that he got angriest when he was the most worried, the most unsettled. We were both frightened, but for very different reasons.

"Ines?" I asked, grabbing her hands in mine. She shook her head, and then began crying softly.

"Isabella." He sighed, and then opened his arms to me. That's when I knew that it was really bad. My father never offered to hug me unless something truly terrible had happened. I let go of Ines and stepped tentatively into the embrace. My father pulled me closer, kissed my head, and then said

"Jacob came today to ask for Ines's hand in marriage." Any reaction I might have had was eclipsed by Nessie's wail. She was sobbing, and I was…confused.

"What?" I shook my head a bit, as if I could shake that thought out of my head.

"Why? Have I offended him?"

"No, no Bella not at all." Ines stepped towards us, grabbed my hand. But I didn't need a hug, I needed to understand. I stepped back, tugging my hand out of Ines's grasp and stepping out of my father's embrace.

"I know we haven't spoken in a while. But you can tell him that any silence in my part was not meant as a rejection. At all." I said.

"He believes that he and Ines are in love. He wants to marry her." The room was silent, except for the quiet sobbing. I looked to Ines.

"Why wouldn't you tell me?" I asked her. I hated that I sounded stiff, polite, formal, but that was me. When the going got tough, I got diplomatic.

"Bella…"

"No Ines. Really. Why wouldn't you tell me that you were in love with my betrothed? You know, you know that there is nothing between us." I said. She shook her head.

"I didn't think he would really do it. He told me that he was going to last time, last time we saw him. He told me that he loved me and that he wanted to marry me. But Bella I thought that was just talk. I never thought he would go through with it. And what kind of sister would I be if I let you live your life knowing that your husband loved your sister?"

"An honest one." I said, quietly. There was nothing else to say. I understood why she did it, or at least I thought I did. I would forgive her. We would move past it. But it hurt that she had lied to me – that she believed it was honestly the best solution. And it hurt that without my knowledge or input, the life I'd been groomed to expect was crumbling before my eyes.

"I'm going to hold him to his word, Ines." Father started, but I put a hand on his arm.

"Don't. I don't want to marry him if he loves Ines. Let them get married."

"Isabella, love is not always foolproof. It takes more than love to make a marriage work. You and Jacob are compatible."

"Are they?" Nessie choked out. "She doesn't know him like I know him." She said, and it was the truth.

"I'll be fine." I said, stopping my father from responding.

"She's right, I clearly don't know him very well at all." I said, still looking up at him.

"Very well. I will allow it. But Ines, you better be grateful to your sister. You do not understand what exactly you're bringing about. You're all about to be drug through the press, and Ines I am not going to save you."

"Thank you Bella." Nessie threw herself on me, hugging me from behind.

"Thank you Father!" She threw herself into his arms next, and he hugged both of us close.

"I want what's best for you. Both of you. But Ines, you're not getting married until you are eighteen. Isabella…" he sighed, and I knew what he was thinking. We'd spent my whole life thinking that I would marry Jacob. Now it was back to the drawing board.

"I cannot protect you either. Not from what they'll say." I wished in that moment that I was naïve enough to not understand, but I did. The tabloids were going to have a field day with the story. They'd speculate about everything, and Ines and I would both be dragged through the mud in the process.

"I understand." I said.

"This is what you want?" He asked, one last time. I nodded.

That evening, united as a family, we announced Jacob and Ines's engagement on a televised press conference. The room – the country – erupted.

The press were not kind.

At first, the public was confused. Conspiracy theories came up, about how I had been a pawn in concealing their romance. About how I had refused Jacob's hand, or we had secretly had a fight, or his father hated me.

My mother was beside herself with happiness at the news, which I think drove a wedge even further between her and my father. After making sure I was alright, she immediately began planning for Ines and Jacob's wedding. That also drew some speculation, as people started to demand answers as to what broke up the childhood sweethearts. That was all I got to see before my father declared that Nessie and I were not allowed to see the press.

Trying to get around the negativity, my father insisted that we all prepare a statement. Mine and Ines's statements were written by my father's speech writer himself. Mine was about how I was so excited for my sister to get married to the love of her life, so glad that my childhood friend would become my brother, and excited to see what life had next for me. Nessie's was about how she couldn't wait to get married to her dream man, move to Spain, and take on her new role of Baroness with her family's support.

I knew things were serious when even Emmett had to give a statement. Emmett, our older brother, was already of age to succeed my father on the throne. He only needed to get married first. But he had no plans of taking the throne any time soon, and as such he flirted, charmed, bedded, but never committed to any girls. He was known as a real Prince Charming, but we all knew that the press underestimated him. Emmett came across as easygoing and laid back, and he was, but he had been a brilliant tactician and political mind since before he got to secondary school age. He was just biding his time.

Emmett's statement was to say that he was so excited for his youngest sister's happiness, and that he and I were overjoyed to be celebrating her wedding. By the time my parents had read their statements, expressing similar sentiments, I could already tell something was wrong. The press was frowning, writing in their little notepads or on their tablets, already preparing to ask questions.

All of the questions were about whether or not Nessie had "stolen" Jake from me, when our own love had fallen apart, and if we had any idea why Jacob preferred one sister over the other. It got so bad that Ines started to tear up, which was when my father put his foot down. He told the press that we were finished for the day, sent them packing, and then immediately disappeared to think. For my father, this means taking a boat out on the ocean to fish, alone.

As my father stalked away I realized that this whole situation with Jacob was spiraling towards being a full-fledged scandal. Something was going to have to be done to solve it.


	2. A Trip to France

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm going to respond to all of you individually, I just got back from one of my best friends' weddings.**

 **To address a question some of you have - Bella's sister in this story is Nessie, whose full name is Ines. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to be confusing!**

 **Let me know if you have any other questions - otherwise, enjoy! I don't own these characters, but I do own my plot.**

* * *

It took just 24 hours of my father's absence for Emmett to decide he was going to confront the situation without him. We all stood in a parlor room, waiting to be called in to dinner. My mother was speaking to Ines about something to do with the wedding, when Emmett came over to me.

"Are you mad at her?" He asked me, lowly. I shook my head, and Emmett pulled me into a hug. I thought it was just for comfort, but I should have known better with Emmett. He leaned down and began to whisper lowly.

"You should be. I know you can't see what the press are saying Bella, but they're not being kind. To either of you. It's going to be really difficult for you to find someone." Emmett is caring and loyal, sometimes overprotective, but he never sugarcoats the truth. Still, I tried to be positive.

"Emmett, there's more to life than getting married. I could get a job, or start a foundation, or go to college. Mother might change her mind, you never know." My mother had put her foot down about Nessie and me going to college after one of the Finnish princesses was assaulted by another student and it was videotaped. He was put to death for treason, but it didn't matter. The video would always exist, and my mother refused.

"Bella, you know you can –" "Isabella!" My mother cut Emmett off.

"Isabella, I know that this situation puts you in a really difficult position. And based on what the press is saying, well, I am worried. We had tentative plans for Ines but Isabella you are a first daughter, and a Princess. You cannot marry just anyone."

"Mother, I was just telling Emmett that I can afford to wait a few years. Get a job, start a foundation, maybe even go to college –"

"Don't be ridiculous Isabella. Any higher education you want, we can provide for you. I will not have you in the hands of, or God forbid living with, some crazy stranger."

"Yes mother, because she would be living in a dormitory and not in a private apartment, as I did when I attended school?" Emmett scowled.

"Emmett, you are not a woman. Do not argue with me on such things, there are more dangers for women."

"But that alone does not mean that college is not a possibility. Think of how we could put that in the press, Bella goes to college to focus on academic pursuits, while Nessie begins her life in Spain. Two different stories for two different women."

"It is not an option and that is final. Any at any rate, it is not worth discussing. What we need is something to divert the press, change the story."

"What is the story?" Ines stepped into the conversation. Mother sighed, which is never a good sign.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Father said not to tell them. That is a direct order from the King." Emmett chimed in, but we all knew it was just to annoy Mother. She never felt she had to listen to anything Father said that wasn't an immediate national threat.

"Ines you are, well, a man-stealing slut. And Isabella you are too dull and uptight to keep a man. It is two sides of the same coin and regardless, they do not know you, either of you. I told your father that he needed to let you know. You are both adult women, at some point you are going to have much, much worse things written in the press about you. And your only options are either to suck it up and learn to move past it, or to change the story. We can't have the paparazzi telling the entire civilized world that you are unmarriageable Isabella, so we are going to change the story."

My mother's eyes were flashing, and she had risen to her fullest height as she spoke. For a brief moment, I forgot that she was my mother. I saw my mother in another light, as a woman who – for her love of Phil – had probably had worse things written in her by paparazzi than I could even dream to say.

"Isabella you are so, quiet." She sighed, stepping forward to catch my face in her hands.

"What are you thinking?"

"I wish I could make it all go away, for my sake and Ines's."

"It is not your job to make it go away." Emmett cut in, shaking his head. Mother sighed.

"But it is, Emmett. That is how these things work. Isabella will make this go away, and I know how she will do it. What you need, Isabella, is a vacation."

"Hmm?" It was Emmett who spoke. Mother waved him off.

"If we get you out of Italy Bella, let you have an adventure without Jacob, the story about you must change." My mother has always been grandiose to a fault. It is why she and my father don't get along. Sometimes it comes across as naiveté, but it also means that she is much more thick-skinned and optimistic than any of us, except maybe Emmett.

"We'll have to wait until Father gets back to make any decisions." Emmett cautioned, even as he bent to kiss her on the cheek. More than me or Ines, Emmett had the difficult task of navigating our parents' tumultuous relationship. Mother smiled at him, reaching up to pat him on the cheek.

"Always my little tactician. Alright Emmett, you, me, and your father can argue about where to send our little princess when he comes back from thinking." She said thinking the way you might say vomiting, as if even the idea of it was disgusting to her. Emmett laughed, his loud belly laugh that only our mother could bring out of him. Neither I nor Ines could ever decide if he was laughing with Mother or at her. Then, he led me out of the room, and just like that the conversation was over.

Father came home two days later, with enough fish that I knew the entire castle staff would be eating seafood that evening. However, Mother's idea was not brought up that day. Nor was it brought up the next day, as Angela came to see how I was doing. She refused to tell me about the Italian press altogether, even though I told her my mother had spilled the beans, instead telling me about a book she'd read and some of the gossip about American celebrities.

I didn't hear anything about it for over a week, and I had just begun to think that maybe Emmett had talked Mother out of her idea, when I was summoned into the Stateroom.

We have many rooms in Scaligero, our main home, that are dedicated to certain types of meetings. The Stateroom is where family business is handled. When I was twelve and allowed in the Stateroom for the first time, it seemed exciting. At twenty, being called into the room just made me a bit unnerved.

Still, I walked in, curtsied to my parents and to Emmett, and sat down. Ines had not been called in, and Emmett was sitting on my side of the table – meaning that he was not going to be a decision maker. That alone put me on edge; waiting for my parents to come to a consensus without his intervention could take hours.

"Isabella," My mother began, and then paused. She took a deep breath, and then shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Isabella, we have called you in here because we believe that the best option for you is to distance yourself from Italy for a while." I held my tongue, even though I wanted to ask for details.

"Your mother, Emmett and I have decided that in order to quiet the press, we will give them a new side of you to focus on. This incident could potentially ruin your marriage prospects. We need to get you back into the public eye in a positive way."

"She knows that!" Emmett cut Father off, but he was silenced by the stares he got from both parents. Emmett is better than Ines at holding his tongue, but he sometimes forgets with family. Mother sighed again.

"In essence Bella, now that you are officially on the market, we want to create separation between you and this incident. You have only ever really stayed extensively in Spain, but obviously that is off the table. With you gone, the Italian and Spanish press will focus on the upcoming nuptials, and the international press can follow your adventures abroad."

"Which brings the question, where would you want to go?" It took my father making eye contact with me before I realized he really expected me to answer. But I knew exactly what I wanted.

"I would love to go live with Al – with Maria Alice. Porto is so beautiful, and the Portuguese press are always kind. And I might get a tan." I like Portugal, but I love Alice. Out of anyone I had ever met, Alice was my only true royal friend. We had clicked instantly when we met at age seven. Though most of our conversations were over Skype in English, since she didn't speak Italian and I didn't speak Portuguese, she and Angela were my closest friends.

My father looked deep in thought, but when I shifted my glance to my mother, I knew it wasn't going to happen. She was frowning, and she tilted her head up to the right, lips thinning, before she spoke.

"Isabella, I am not sure that being with Maria will help you. Portugal is so small, what kind of growth can you have there? You need something more exciting or you might as well stay here for all the press will care."

"Renee." My father cut in, warning in my tone, but Mother waved him off.

"She already knows, Charles. Isabella, people are saying that you lost Jacob because you are dutiful and boring and he lost interest. Now you are dutiful and soft-spoken, yes, but you are a good princess Isabella. Someone is going to love you tremendously. Boring you are not. You need to go somewhere exciting, with someone who can take you out of your shell."

"Your mother wants to send you to Versailles." My father cut in once again, cutting my mother off with a frown.

"Versailles, France?" I asked. Everyone knows about Versailles. Home to the royal family of France, Versailles is known as the capital of extravagance. Even U.S. Celebrities who stay at Versailles come away saying it is the most pampered they've ever been in their lives. And I realized, with a dawning horror, why my mother wanted to send me there.

"Isabella, don't get that look. You could learn a lot from Dauphine Rosalie. And you are like sisters. Her mother is Italian. I am sure she would love to have you." I couldn't speak, I simply looked to her in wide eyed horror.

"Emmett, do you have anything to say?" Maybe Father sensed that Emmett's outburst was on the way, because the second he finished speaking Emmett went off.

"This is unacceptable! Versailles will eat Isabella alive. They are nothing like the Italian court. Mother I know you feel a kinship with Rosalie, because you are French and her mother is Italian, but Bella is not you. Why would you want to send her into that?"

"I don't always agree with Rosalie's actions, Emmett, but she is beloved across the world. People know her, she has status independent of her family. That would be good for Isabella, to be seen as friends with someone like that."

"Yes, maybe they will get a lovely shot of her drunkenly stumbling out of a bar with no shirt like some of Rosalie's friends. That is certainly not boring."

"Emmett, enough." Mother's voice was cold as ice.

"You have decided." It was a statement. Emmett stared our mother down, but she didn't even blink. Even Father sat back in his chair, glancing between the two of them with furrowed eyebrows. When Mother didn't answer, we all knew what that meant.

"Then I will go as well." Emmett threw an arm across my shoulder. "You will not send her to Versailles alone and unprepared."

"Fine." Mother sniffed, and then we all looked to Father.

"Isabella, will you go?" He asked me. I forced a smile.

"If that's what everyone thinks is best." I said, even though I wanted to say no. I wanted to say that Dauphine Rosalie and I could have nothing in common – I thought so, Emmett thought so, and I could tell by my father's lowered eyebrows that he thought so as well. But Mother wanted me to go, so I would go.

"Great! Charles, let's go make that phone call. Isabella, Emmett, have your maids start packing. Or, no, I'm going to bring a stylist in to style you both. I want you wearing the latest in fashion while you are in France, or they'll murder you in the tabloids. And sweetheart, you'll see. You'll be so much happier in Versailles than you could ever be in Porto."

With that, we were dismissed. That night over Facebook Alice offered to come visit me in Versailles, but I knew that it probably wouldn't happen. A middle child, like me, but a second daughter, Alice's parents were very concerned about securing a good marriage for her. Technically she was third in line for the throne after her elder sister and younger brother, a decision which she herself had supported. It was the right choice for her, but her mother was convinced it would make her unmarriageable. In their constant search for Alice's husband, her sister already engaged and her brother too young, it was unlikely that they would let her leave Porto alone, not to talk of Portugal.

Angela's coming was out of the question as well, but in the days after my meeting with my parents both Alice and Angela tried to cheer me up with cute internet videos, conversations about the nightlife I'd experience, and gossip about which celebrities might be in France the same time that I would be there. It helped me prepare myself mentally for Versailles.

As I should have expected, my mother made a big deal out of mine and Emmett's departure. There were press as we walked out to get into the limo, palace staff loading all of our bags into the back. The fact that I had 3 suitcases worried me; my mother was not typically an over-packer meaning she thought I would genuinely need three bags of things. As I got in Gia, one of the maids, leaned in to whisper

"She sent you with an empty bag for souvenirs." It made me feel slightly better, and I smiled at her jest before Emmett ambled his way in. He threw his body into the back of the car with a smile, winking at Gia as she stepped aside for our security to step in. Gian Carlo, my retainer, and Emmanuele, Emmett's retainer, slid in wordlessly.

"Anything you're looking forward to in Versailles?" I asked Gian Carlo. He shook his head; most of our security never spoke to us unless they had to. With that out of the question, Emmett and I spoke to each other on the ride over. He was excited about some nightlife in Paris that he was dying to check out, and I tried to match his enthusiasm. Realistically I knew that's what my mother wanted, for me to live Rosalie's lifestyle of going out and making more effort to be in the public eye.

Getting out of the limo at the airport, I tried to smile for the pictures being taken, even as I heard what they were saying about me. People were yelling, asking if Jacob had broken my heart, if I thought Ines had betrayed me, if Ines was her mother's daughter. Emmett put a protective arm around my shoulder, and we made our way in just like that; all smiles and friendly waves.

The entire flight, all I could think about was what I would do when I arrived at Versailles. Emmett looked excited, and I tried to match his enthusiasm outwardly, but internally I felt mostly sick. I believed that feeling would leave when we landed at Versailles. I was wrong.

It did not leave as we walked out of the plane to the paparazzi going nuts, yelling at us in different languages. It did not leave as we were greeted by two stunning blondes, Rosalie and Henri. We all kissed cheeks, and then we were all escorted by security to the golf carts. We were to be driven up to the actual palace – Henri and Emmett in one, Rosalie and I in another.

When we sat down, I turned to thank her for her hospitality, and as if sensing what I was about to do she held up a perfectly manicured finger.

"Jacques, hand to God, if anything about what I am I wearing gets even a touch out of place with all of the paparazzi here to see it I will make sure that you are reassigned to coat check."

"Absolutely, Madame la Dauphine." The driver looked petrified, and as he pulled forward, carefully, Rosalie turned her violet eyes to me.

"You are staring." She said, and it was not what I had expected.

"Oh, I'm sorry" I averted my eyes to the scenery, and Rosalie sighed.

"If you are really as boring as they say, Versailles is not the place for you. You are clearly trying very hard based on how you are dressed. And I understand it, I do. I will even help you. I have worked very hard for my image. I am sure that being part of my posse for a few weeks will give you the outcome you're looking for. But let's not take this for more than what it is. I get nothing out of this except the excitement of being associated with another royal family, since Kate had to go get engaged. We will not become best friends, and as far as I'm concerned you're getting the good part of this exchange." She paused, and I glanced over to see that she had given her entire speech while staring at her phone.

"Now, lean in and smile so I can announce your arrival." I leaned in, and we took sixteen selfies before she was satisfied with the shot she then posted to Instagram.

"What's your public handle?"

"Oh, I don't really have a public, or private Instagram." Rosalie recoiled as if I had slapped her, her mouth literally falling open. Then she shook herself out of it.

"Make one. By the time we get to the doors. Take a random picture of, I don't know, something in the garden. Set a good profile picture. I will not associate with you if you don't have an Instagram, snapchat, and twitter at the very least." I waited for her to say she was kidding, but she didn't, and I slowly realized that she meant every word. So I made the accounts, and posted a picture of a fountain we passed. Then she posted the picture of us, and tagged my new account. It was still uploading when we finally got to the door of the palace.

I moved to get up, but Rosalie stopped me before I stood.

"Your assignment is to post multiple times a day on your new accounts every single day that you are here."

"Assignment?"

"Yes, I didn't think you would be so remedial that you would need homework either, and yet, here we are. Just, trust me, okay. Your mom sounded pretty upset when she called my mom, and I know what I'm talking about. I'll see you at dinner." Just like that, Rosalie stepped out of the golf cart and strutted away as if she was walking a runway. Then Emmett and Henri's golf cart came up, Emmett driving and Henri yelling from his seat, and a maid came to lead Emmett and me to our rooms.

At that point, I wasn't feeling sick. I was completely out of my element, and beyond terrified. I knew, without a doubt, coming to Versailles had been a mistake.


	3. Versailles

**A/N: Hi Everyone! We're starting to pick up steam here with this story, but before we get to it I have a question. Do you have any interest in interacting with me outside of this site? I'd love to interact more with anyone who wants to talk to me, and I put a poll up on my profile (which I finally updated lol) with some ways to do so. The 1st would be to create a facebook group which I've seen a lot of writers on this site do. The second would be on my writing blog. I don't update it too frequently now but if people wanted to visit me there I'd definitely post more. The last is a site I started with one of my best friends called WordlyWomen which is a writing community for women authors aimed at providing advice, inspiration, and community to every woman who considers herself a writer.**

 **If you have any interest - please let me know via the poll! And as usual, I don't own these characters, but I do own my plot!**

* * *

My very first evening in Versailles, Rosalie, Emmett, and I were to go out with Rosalie and her friends. Like she'd told me to I made a twitter, and a snapchat. That evening, I was dressed in an outfit that she called tame but I found much more revealing than anything I'd ever worn before. The blouse was off the shoulder and tight, the skirt was high-waisted and tight and stopped at mid-thigh, and I was wearing boots that came over my knees. When I saw the dress she wore, it took everything in me not to ask how she could go out in so little.

"Isabella, all of your important bits are covered and then some. You can't go out looking boring." She said, as my makeup woman applied more eyeliner than I'd ever used in my life.

That was the first thing I'd had to get used to. Dauphine Rosalie did nothing by half, and that included her look. Of course I had professionals style me for important events and appearances. But at Versailles, Rosalie was professionally dressed and made up every time she left home, and anyone who was friends with her was expected to be the same. I felt like a Kardashian, a comparison that Rosalie took offense to only because she was much more beautiful and classy than their "messy American" family.

"Mirene, I think you worked a miracle with her." She turned to my stylist, who I could see beaming in the mirror reflection. My makeup artist, Sophie, stepped back so that Rosalie could see my face.

"Lovely! Isabella give me your phone, I'm going to snap you."

"What?"

"Snapchat. I'm going to snap you."

"It is unladylike to display yourself dishabille." I responded automatically, blushing. Sophie handed Rosalie my phone and I took a deep breath to resist the urge to snatch it from her hands. Rosalie rolled her eyes at me.

"Maybe 30 years ago, now it makes your relatable and enviable. Smile." Rosalie leaned over, pressing her face to mine and beaming as she held out her phone.

"Ladies, I can't believe Isabella has finally visited me in Versailles. We're going to have so much fun!" I smiled pleasantly in the snap as Rosalie managed to be entirely convincing.

If I didn't know, I would genuinely believe that we had met and spoken before a few hours previous. After finishing that snap, she pressed the phone forward into her makeup artist Alene's hands. Sophie kept adding makeup to my face as though nothing was happening. I was clearly the only person in the room out of my element. Next thing I knew, Alene was filming, and Rosalie was on my other side, still beaming.

"Can you believe she didn't have social media until she got here? Check her out at bellacignaitalia on IG and snapchat." She winked. The second the snap was filmed, the smile dropped from her face.

"Close your eyes, Sophie wasn't done." She said. So, I did. As Sophie moved back to my eyes, I felt Rosalie come to stand next to me.

"Bella, say hi to all of your new followers."

"Lovely to meet you all." I said, trying to manage a pleasant smile despite Sophie fluttering all over my face.

"Ugh, we have a lot of work to do." Rosalie said, letting me know that the filming was over. I sighed, trying to remind myself to remain positive. At the very least I was getting much more practice with my French than ever before.

If I expected things to get better after Rosalie was satisfied with our appearance, it was naïve of me. First, I was introduced to the girls that made up the "clique magique", the name the international press had for the women that made Rosalie's select group of friends. Part of what made being with Rosalie so exciting in my mom's eyes was how exclusive she was known to be. There were women Rosalie had known her entire life that weren't part of the clique, and many celebrities who visited Versailles were denied an invitation to go out with them – though Rosalie had gone out with the "messy" Kardashians before.

What Emmett had said was true, they weren't exactly great role models. There was Calista, a model who had become Rosalie's friend when they were 14 and had somehow stayed in the clique when so many other girls were dropped. Manon and Loane, two girls from noble families in France, the 'good girls' of their group in that neither of them had ever done anything to cause a scandal. Cyriel, another noble but the wild one who'd been caught too-drunk and with missing clothing more than anyone else. And lastly Vera, rumored to be dating Henri, and the youngest of the group at 19. All of them were beautiful, and though Cyriel and Calista were the wildest, they all lived a very public, frivolous life.

That being said, they were at least kind to me, especially Manon and Loane. We spent a solid 20 minutes each taking pictures of each other and then Rosalie got the final say of what picture everyone posted. Social media was about building a narrative, she informed me. If I wanted my narrative to show that I wasn't boring, I needed to look like I had friends, which meant that I was not allowed to post solo pictures at night – only pictures with at least one other member of the clique. Part of me resented her bossiness, but I tried to be grateful instead. This was a topic that I knew little about, and she was doing me a favor.

"Thank you." I smiled, as she uploaded a picture of me posing with a smiling Manon and a winking Loane. She made them post pics with me too.

"Nobody would believe that you hit it off right away with Cyriel or Calista or Vera." She informed me, casually. Luckily Emmett and Henri arrived then to join us.

In the limo ride out, as everyone snapchatted, I noticed that Vera and Henri did seem close. He and Emmett seemed to have hit it off as well. Meanwhile, I snapped myself smiling and dancing with Rosalie, Manon, or Loane and tried to focus on feeling grateful not silly. By the time we had arrived at what I would later find out was the "first" club, I was already up to 10K followers on Instagram.

That night was my first time ever at a nightclub, and I was unprepared. Emmett had gone out, and Nessie was always begging to go, but I had never had interest. It was certainly different. Rosalie had a permanent reserved table that, when she officially notified the club she wasn't coming, apparently went for 2 times the price of any other table. I stayed in the VIP area the whole time we were there, as did Henri, Vera, and Loane. But everyone else went out onto the dance floors and pretended not to notice everyone taking pictures of them. Rosalie had been right, I did look overly-dressed compared to most of the other women, but I cringed at the thought of wearing any less.

At the second club, Rosalie made me go out with her to the dance floor and snapchat myself dancing, as well as instagramming myself with the bottle service girls who came by. It wasn't my ideal scene, but I did think that for a unique experience I was certainly enjoying myself. Emmett was clearly enjoying himself. I decided that it was a good idea to do something new to challenge myself.

One month later, I was having trouble staying positive. Rosalie and the clique magique went out at least 3 times a week. The other 4 days were spent at the spas, or shopping, or wearing the most luxurious items possible to church. On paper we may have been similar, but it was clear that in reality, even Manon and Loane were much wilder and freer than me. The more my Instagram, snapchat, and other accounts portrayed me as fun-loving and free-spirited, the more I started to realize that I clearly was not. I had privately started to wonder if maybe there was some truth to the idea that I was not very exciting.

 _What is la dauphine having you do today?_

My friends made the experience much easier to bear. Alice and Angela texted me every day to vent a bit about the experience. Though I would never say anything bad about Rosalie or any of her friends, I was out of my comfort zone and adjusting did not seem to be getting easier. I felt like a fake every long, luxurious day of my life.

There is a new club opening we were both invited to 

_They're hoping to be Rosalie approved?_

Like everyone else in France, oui

 _You know, you could pretend to be sick and beg out_

I tried that once, Rosalie told me she'd have the doctor pump my stomach

 _What? Does Emmett know how mean she is to you?_

She is not mean, she's doing me a favor

 _In the meanest way possible :P_

Hold on Angela, I need to put my phone away

She texted me back, but I knew better at that point than to use my phone in front of Rosalie if I didn't want her to check it. Nightlife was Rosalie's domain – she was the queen and we were all her court.

Once I began to understand the dynamics of France a little more, I couldn't really begrudge Rosalie her controlling nature. France was one of the only countries that still insisted on having a male monarch, so though Henri was my age, two years younger than Rosalie, he was the future King of France. I could tell it galled her, and she and her brother were not close despite spending half of their time together.

And, I was loathe to leave because Emmett was clearly enjoying Versailles. His Prince Charming reputation had followed him over the border and he was having fun going out and being free from Mother and Father. There were no incriminating pictures of him, certainly nothing like Calista or Cyriel, but he was photographed a lot. There were several pictures of him with one arm around me and one arm around one of the clique, me doing my best to look happy but Emmett clearly elated. If I didn't know that he was a fantastic Prince, I would have thought this was what he was born for.

"Isabella, you haven't tweeted anything in two days." Rosalie snapped at me, as Sophie touched something up on my face. I hadn't even realized that Sophie was back. I sighed.

"Yes, of course." I was up to roughly half-a-million followers on everything except Instagram, where I had over a million. When Sophie stepped back I dutifully snapped a quick picture with her and tweeted something thanking her for making me beautiful. It wasn't difficult to learn how to be like Rosalie, what was difficult for me was keeping it up.

That day, I was tired. I was tired of Rosalie's constant niggling – as if she took joy in telling me I didn't meet her standards – and tired of going out all the time. Still, I pulled myself together and tried to act as happy as everyone else to be going out yet again. At least this time, the place we were going was new and on the ground. The last party we'd been to had been on a very choppy boat and I spent the whole evening pretending I wasn't seasick.

When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the place was. Because it was an opening they pre-screened everyone who got in, which made me feel a little safer and a little braver. I let Emmett talk me into going out on the dance floor with him, Rosalie, and Manon.

"I love this place!" Manon smiled from ear to ear as she danced, and I tried to copy her graceful movements. She giggled at me and I knew I probably looked silly, but I didn't mind.

"Courtesy of the club!" A bartender dressed to the nines came with shots for each of us, which tasted like sweet candies. I did one and everyone else did a few. As we danced, other clubgoers snapped pictures of us. I could tell when they recognized Rosalie because suddenly our area of the club was packed. In the corner, Gian Carlo stepped into the crowd and I realized I was probably out of his line of sight. He hung much closer to me than Emmanuele did to Emmett.

"Your bodyguard is cute, have you and he ever…?" Manon asked me in a whisper. My eyes widened, and I frantically shook my head.

"No! Never!"

"Would you mind if I did?" My mother would've had a hernia if I did something like that, but I shrugged her off. Then I was alone, not sure when Emmett and Rosalie had walked off. Not wanting to talk to the people in the crowd already turning my way, I made my way back to our table. On my way I thought I saw a flash of a phone, and when I turned I saw Calista's dark hair. I started making my way over to them, but I stopped when I heard her voice.

"It's really not my fault! I mean, the articles all called her boring but I thought maybe she was just shy like Loane. But she really is so lifeless. She just wants to sit and listen, no dancing or anything. If we're being honest, Rosalie would never make us hang out with her if she wasn't La Pricipessa."

"Shut up Cyriel! Shit, someone might hear you!" Calista reprimanded her loudly. She began to look around to see if anyone near them was paying attention, so I ducked out of her view. Immediately as I started walking towards the bathroom I saw Gian Carlo follow me in the crowd. That was my breaking point. In that moment, I just wanted to be alone. I changed my path, turning towards the public bathroom. Suddenly I ran into a man, whose eyes widened when he recognized me.

"You're her, you're La Principessa Isabella!" He yelled, a bit too excited in his inebriated state. I smiled.

"Yes. I'm looking for somewhere warmer, I'm a little cold. Do you know where I might go?"

"Here!" He immediately stripped off the trendy hoodie he was wearing and handed it to me.

"Stay warm Principessa!" He was clearly French, and it briefly occurred to me to wonder why he used my Italian title, but I glanced up to see Gian Carlo heading our way, so I took the hoodie with a smile and ducked back into the crowd. When I saw Gian Carlo start to question the poor Frenchman, I pulled the hoodie on and zipped it up, tucking my hair inside. Luckily for me it covered most of what I was wearing, and I slid seamlessly through the crowd and out of the club. At the door, the man stamping my hand for re-entry didn't seem to recognize me at all.

Outside, I started walking the streets of Paris. I knew that eventually either Gian Carlo or Emmett would call me, upset, and I would have to go back. But I had a few moments to myself to really think.

As I wandered, I looked around Paris and thought how I'd much rather be doing this, exploring the streets and looking at the beautiful architecture, than shopping and going to nightclubs. It made me boring, I understood that. But it also made me happy, and for a moment I wished that was good enough.

As I kept wandering, I spotted a little kiosk that was still open and realized that I was parched. I always carried some money with me for emergencies, and I figured getting a drink wasn't breaking the bank, so I stepped over. Except, before I could browse the selection of drinks I saw my face. I was on the cover of several magazines in French and in English, walking out of clubs with Rosalie, Emmett, Henri, and the Clique. Every French-language one referred to me and Rosalie as La Dauphine et La Principessa.

"Ah, admiring the lifestyle of the royals?" The man at the counter asked, when I picked up one with a shaking hand. I realized he didn't recognize me, probably hadn't even seen my face properly with the hoodie pulled up over my head.

"Oui, ca compte combien?" I asked him how much it would cost, but I was already rifling through the pages until I found the article.

It first spoke about Rosalie and Henri and wondered why Henri had no friends of his own, so I already knew that it was a gossip tabloid. But the feature on me made my stomach drop. The article asked, in great detail, who I thought I was fooling by running away from my scorned love to Versailles.

I picked up another one, which described me as a lovelorn former lady turned partygirl. Another one said that I'd been banished from Italy until I lost the stick up my butt because Ines didn't want me to spoil her wedding. I knew that tabloids were always mean. These ones found mean things to say about even Rosalie, and I knew that she was beloved in France as in the rest of the world. But I was stuck on what they called me in a way I never had been before.

"If you're going to rob me, get out of here!" The man said, as I had a pile stacked of six magazines and counting. I slipped him a bill for way more than they were worth, grabbed the first beverage I laid eyes on, and dumped the tabloids in a bin around the corner. Too dignified to sit on the street, I leaned against a closed patisserie and took a moment to myself.

Reasonably, the plan had to be working alright, or my mother would have yanked me back to Italy in a heartbeat. But that last magazine had hit a nerve I hadn't expected. Even if it was just to sell magazines, it hurt that anyone thought that about me. That I was so proper and boring that my sister wanted to be rid of me. And even though I didn't love him, and I was happy for them, it reminded me that my sister and my best friend had kept this secret from me.

In that moment, standing alone on a road, I could also admit to myself that what Jacob and Ines had done had hurt me deeply. Not that they would fall in love, or want to get married, but that neither of them trusted me enough to tell me. I was closer to the two of them than anyone else and yet neither of them had told me the truth. Now, because of them, I was being pushed into being someone that I was not. I was far from home for the first time and, I could admit it, miserable.

I gave myself a few minutes there on the road to feel bad for myself. Then, I stood tall, made sure everything was in order, and put myself back together. Nobody, not my parents, not my siblings, and not my country, wanted or needed a princess that was a crybaby. I knew that leaving without Gian Carlo had been irresponsible, and that I was probably making him and Emmett frantic. I gave myself one last second of sadness, and then I was off and smiling as I started making my way back.

* * *

 **If you haven't read the Author's Note - it would mean a lot to me if you did.**


	4. Code Black

**A/N: If anyone of you lovely writers wants to help support me in my personal business, I'm looking for women to take a short (literally 2 minute) survey I posted on my home page. Otherwise - on with the story!**

 **I don't on these characters, I do own my plot.**

* * *

"I have never known you to be so dumb, Isabella. Gian Carlo almost called Mother to say that he lost you."

Emmett was furious when I got back to the club, and I deserved it. What I had done was irresponsible, and I knew it. I had chosen to do it anyways.

"I'm sorry, Emmett." I apologized, as Gian Carlo hovered awkwardly behind me.

"I'm sorry Gian Carlo, I should not have done that to you."

"Principessa please, allow me to apologize for losing sight of you and leaving you unprotected." Gian Carlo bowed awkwardly. With Emmett in front of me fuming, and Gian Carlo refusing to meet my eye, I was right in the middle of a situation I had never really been in. I almost forgot that we had an audience, until suddenly there was a skinny arm thrown around my shoulder.

"That was incredible! You were like some kind of spy!" Blissfully ignorant of the tension, Cyriel threw an arm around my shoulder, beaming.

"That was so cool!" Completely ignoring Emmett and Gian Carlo she looked to her friends over her shoulder, pulling me around to look at them too. For the first time since I had arrived, I had the genuine attention of everyone in the clique.

"Where did you get that hoodie?" Vera asked, eyes wide.

"I told this man that I was cold and he gave me his jacket."

"No way!" "Then you escaped?" "What man?" I could practically feel Emmett's anger steadily growing behind me, but the clique remained oblivious and kept asking excited questions so quickly that I could barely answer them. Only Rosalie, Emmett, and Henri were silent. Then, Rosalie stepped forward from her position of staring me down.

"Say cheese." She instructed me, holding up her phone. I moved to shrug off the jacket, but she held up a hand to stop it.

"Rosalie." Emmett was using his king voice, the authoritative tone he'd learned from our father. It had no effect on Rosalie whatsoever.

"With the jacket." She told me, as if she couldn't hear my brother. I quickly complied, striking a pose with the jacket to avoid a fight. She took about 15 pictures, and then my phone dinged with a notification.

I pulled it out to check it, to see that Rosalie had tagged me in a post. The caption was one word. Bold. She stared at me, a look of understanding in her eyes that I'd never seen before. It was the nicest moment I'd ever had with Rosalie.

With that, my escape act gained me the respect of the clique. We left shortly after, Emmett still in a bad mood, and the clique crowded around me laughing and telling my story on their Snapchats. Cyriel even took over my phone to post on mine, telling everyone that I was "badass" in very fast English that I knew most of my followers wouldn't understand. When we got back to Versailles, Emmet wouldn't even look at me.

The next morning, I woke to a maid packing a bag for me under Rosalie's supervision.

"Your brother is having an attitude." She informed me, instead of a greeting. I quickly slid out of bed, wondering what was going on.

"Is Emmett alright?" Rosalie glanced at the maid, then switched to Italian.

"He is being very unreasonable. Henri had to stop him from coming in here to wake you up."

"Are we going back to Italy?"

"Now that you have finally developed a personality? No, of course not. Loane and Cyriel want to take you to Marseille to the beach. That is where Cyriel is from. You will go, and the rest of us will get Emmett to calm down and see that he is being unreasonable."

"He isn't. I understand where he is coming from. I shouldn't have done what I did last night, Rosalie. It was childish."

"It was cool. It was spontaneous, and fun. Bella, you can't be a perfect Principessa all the time. You have to be a person. You needed a moment to yourself and you took one. That's human."

I disagreed. I understood why Emmett was upset, because I was upset with myself. I knew better, and had been raised better than what I'd done the night before. But there was no point arguing with Rosalie, so I let it go.

"Brigitte, please fetch Mirene and Sophie and let them know Isabella is awake and ready to be dressed." Rosalie smiled at me as the maid finished zipping my suitcase and ducked out of the room.

"Mirene and Sophie are very excited to go with you." As she spoke she slipped out of the room, leaving me alone for a moment. I took a deep breath, taking a second to fully let myself wake up. Then Mirene and Sophie were upon me.

Hours later, Loane, Cyriel, and I, along with our Rosalie-approved entourage of beauty people, arrived at an admittedly beautiful hotel in Marseille. I thought it was strange that we didn't stay with Cyriel's family but neither she nor Loane commented, so neither did I.

Our first day in Marseille was a beach day entirely full of tropical drinks and snapchat, as I met some of Cyriel's local friends. By the end of the evening I had a headache and, with no Rosalie there to bully me into going out, I finally retired early. The next day I felt so bad for letting Cyriel and Loane down, that I agreed to go yachting with them.

We took even more photos all over the boat. Cyriel was racier than me or Loane by far, provocatively untying her bikini strings or tugging down the bottoms. Though it wasn't what I would have chosen to explore of Marseille, I was having fun. I did go out with them that evening, and Loane even talked me into going to the dance floor with them. I reminded myself that I was a guest and should be courteous to Cyriel's wishes, and that this whole trip was my penance for disappearing and irritating Emmett in the first place – even though it had made the clique and Rosalie like me more.

That night before I went to bed, I finally convinced Cyriel to let me spend a day getting to truly experience Marseille. I was excited, ready to explore the history and the culture of the city. However, I was woken up at 5 AM to someone pounding on my door. Pulling a robe over my nightgown I peeked out of my bedroom to see Gian Carlo in the hallway.

"Gian Carlo is something wrong?" I asked, as I slowly opened the door. As soon as I had it open wide enough he stepped back, phone held to his mouth.

"La Principessa is safe. We are on our way to the pickup site."

"Gian Carlo, what is going on?" I asked. Loane peeked her head out of her room, and her eyes grew wise when she saw Gian Carlo.

"Do I secure the other two?" He asked whoever was on the other line. Then he looked at me and Loane.

"I will wake La Dama Cyriel. Principessa, Dama Loane, you must be ready to leave in 5 minutes. Principessa, it is a Code Black."

Immediately, I felt my heart sink into my stomach as I realized what was happening. As I stood in the light of the hallway, I took a deep breath and pulled myself together, then turned to Loane. She looked confused and scared, still standing in her doorway with wide eyes as Gian Carlo moved into Cyriel's room.

"Code Black?" She asked me, head tilted. I took another deep breath.

"It means we are in mourning. A royal has died."

"Who!" She asked immediately, her hand going to her heart and tears of shock already forming in her eyes. I knew what she was thinking, because I knew what I was thinking. Was it Rosalie? Emmett? Henri? I thought of my sister at home, my parents, Alice, any number of people. But thinking about it would not make the situation any less real or any less urgent.

"I do not know. We must pack. We must be ready to leave when Gian Carlo says we must go."

With that, I returned to my own room and began searching for anything black that I had. Luckily, I had a knee-length black dress that was for going out, and a leather jacket. With the jacket over the dress it hid the inappropriate qualities and would pass for last-minute mourning attire. Everything else I threw into the suitcase, for once not caring if I would ruin or rumple anything.

When I stepped out in the hall Cyriel was visibly shaken, standing in her pajamas.

"I am going home." She informed me. I nodded. Loane came out with her suitcase in hand moments later. There was a knock at the door and then it opened to reveal Gian Carlo clutching a key.

"It is time. Dama Cyriel you are not in danger. Your parents have been informed of the situation and are sending someone to retrieve you. In the meantime, the hotel has security on this floor so that nobody will bother you." With that brief goodbye we each gave her a quick hug and then Gian Carlo was ushering us out of the hotel. We drove to a small local airport, and next thing I knew we were flying back to Versailles.

It was a very short flight, we were in a car to Versailles in less than an hour. It was just after seven by the time we drove up to the door. Gian Carlo opened the car and got out, but before I could do the same Emmett practically pulled me out and into a hug. I hugged him back, more worried than ever before but also so relieved to see that he was safe. He too was dressed in all black.

"Come, let us get you dressed." It would be my first time dressing without Mirene since I had arrived at Versailles. He did not once release me as we walked to my room, and I feared the worst news. I didn't know how to ask. For all my etiquette lessons, I had never been instructed on how to ask if someone in my family had passed away.

We didn't make it all the way to my room. As we walked down the hallway Rosalie stepped out of her room. Only, this was a Rosalie I had never seen before. She was entirely un-made, from head to toe, dressed in a deep black dress. She looked tired and sad, more heartbroken than I had ever seen a person look. Instantly, my thoughts turned to Henri and I wondered if something had happened.

"Rosalie…" I had no idea what to say, but that was enough. She released a sob that she had clearly been holding in, and crumpled to the ground right before our eyes like she had simply lost the will to live. Emmett immediately released me and we both rushed to her side, where she surprised me by clinging to me.

"Kate…" was all she said, looking not at me, but through me. At first I was confused, but then the name clicked. There was only one Kate of any importance, and that was Katherine Cullen of England, the future Queen. I looked to Emmett, but he was gazing at Rosalie with a look I'd never seen from him before. With no time to waste, I began to stand and try to help her stand up. Emmett caught on, and the two of us pulled her up.

"Where do you want to be, Rosalie?" I asked gently. She was still clutching me, her arms linked through mine.

"Why Kate?" She asked nobody, then looked at me. "Bella she's gone." It confirmed what I suspected, Kate was our code black. I had never met Princess Kate, as she had never been to Italy and I had never been to England, but I knew of her. Young and vibrant, she was supposed to accept the crown to England from her great aunt in just over a year, which would have made her the youngest living monarch. I wondered what could have possibly happened to her, but Rosalie was in no state for me to ask.

"Rosalie, do you want your mother or your father, or Henri?" I asked. Neither Emmett nor myself had spent any significant amount of time with the King or the Queen apart from a few meals, but I was sure that we could hunt them down if Rosalie asked for them. To my surprise, she shook her head.

"I want to be alone" she said, releasing her grip on me suddenly. As quickly as she had stepped out, Rosalie stepped back into her room.

"Rosalie," Emmett started after her, but she shut the door in our faces. It was more than understandable in her current state, though I suspected that Rosalie would have done it in any state. Looking lost and a bit frustrated himself Emmett extended his arm back towards me and guided me back to my room. As he walked me over, he spoke lowly.

"It was a plane crash. Princess Kate and Duke Garrett were flying back from a mission trip in the Americas and their plane went down. It has not been released to international press yet."

"That's horrible." I had no idea what to say. I didn't know them but I still grieved for those who did, a set of people which evidently included Rosalie.

When we arrived at my door, Emmett advised me to pack only the things I wanted to take with me to England, and leave the rest for staff to sort out and ship back to Italy. I nodded, and got to it.

That day we ate a silent lunch, where Rosalie was notably absent. Then, everyone went their own way. None of the clique was at Versailles at all, as far as I could tell, and I wondered if they'd been sent away by protocol, or by Rosalie herself.

To be practical, knowing that we were leaving to England on a flight either that night or the following day, I packed only my black clothing. It wasn't as though I couldn't have my clothes sent to me in England, or even purchase new clothing if I needed to. I had just finished with my bag when there was a knock on the door, and I opened it to see Emmett.

"Are you finished packing?" I asked him. He nodded absently, walking into my room and shutting the door.

"I just spoke to Father, he sends his love." Emmett paused for a moment, then walked to my bed and flopped onto it. I climbed on next to him, laying with my head on his shoulder.

"We've found out more news from England. Father and Mother asked me to pass a message on to you, but I don't know how to say this."

"Did someone else die?" I asked, eyes wide. Emmett shook his head, then exhaled deeply.

"Obviously, we will all be traveling to England to lend our condolences and support to the English Royal Family in this trying time. The family will meet us there." I nodded, unsure where it was going. Emmett sighed again.

"Well, Kate's death is not only a tragedy on a personal level, but as you can imagine it is also potentially a national crisis for England. The country cannot run without a monarch, and Kate was next in line."

"Will Lord Carlisle have to take the throne?" I asked. Emmett sighed.

"You would think so. That's what would make sense! That's what would have made sense from the very beginning. When Queen Elizabet realized that she would never bear a child, the next-in-line should have been Carlisle as the son of her younger brother. When she elevated Kate, not Carlisle, to Princess, everyone was shocked. But now she has really done it."

Emmett paused, staring at the ceiling as though he longed to say this all to Queen Elizabet.

"She has elevated Lord Edward to Prince Edward. She is giving the throne to Katherine's younger brother." I blinked. Edward was technically old enough at Emmett's age. But considering that Katherine had spent the last 3 years of her life training to be a monarch since Elizabet had elevated her, I didn't envy Edward's next few years.

"He has a long road ahead of him." I frowned, feeling for him. Emmett snorted.

"That is the worst part. He does not. Elizabet still plans to abdicate the throne on her 70th birthday."

"What!" The outburst was entirely unladylike but I was shocked. Queen Elizabet had either just turned or was soon turning 69, a fact that I only knew because the upcoming party was the only competing headline in Italy as the papers discussed Nessie and me. She was giving her great nephew one year to prepare to be King of England, and that on top of mourning the death of his sister. It seemed especially cruel, though I was sure she must have had her reasons.

"You know what that means." Emmett said, rolling over to make eye contact with me. I am not normally slow, but at first I didn't get what he meant. Then, it clicked.

"He will need to get married." I said, and Emmett nodded. My heart dropped for the second time that day, but for an entirely different reason. Poor Edward was going to be bombarded by every eligible woman whose parents liked the idea of her becoming the Queen of England. With my future in the air because of Nessie and Jacob, I would not be able to escape this. Emmett and I shared a look, and though we didn't speak our thoughts were on the same page. My mother was not going to let me leave England until Prince Edward Cullen had put a ring on his finger and, in her mind, one on mine.

We flew out the next morning on a private charter from France, along with the French royal family.

Though I had better clothes, courtesy of a near-frantic Mirene, I was still highly uncomfortable. We all were. The worst of us was Rosalie.

It took two maids to get her out of her room, and her personal guard half escorted half carried her into the plane. She sat in the far back, away from everyone in her family. Not crying, not speaking, just silent. I wondered why nobody was doing anything.

The flight was not terribly long. But when I saw that she wasn't going to talk to anyone, I had to go over. I sat next to her, not looking at her, but joining her in staring out of the window.

"Rosalie, are you alright?"

"Why do you care? Leave me."

"If I did not care, I would not be here." I ignored her tone. She was grieving, and I certainly had learned that Rosalie said what was on her mind no matter what. She shifted to look at me, eyes swollen and makeup running.

"Why would you care?"

"I can tell you're upset. We all can. I just want to know if there is something I can do to help." She stared at me for so long that I debated getting up and leaving. I shifted to stand, and her hand came out and grabbed my arm in a surprisingly strong grip.

"Wait. Thank you. You…You are a good princess, Isabella, after all." She let me go after that, breaking eye contact to turn and stare back out the window. I was dismissed. But I could appreciate what had happened. It was undoubtedly the closest thing to an apology from Dauphine Rosalie that I was ever going to get.

* * *

 **Again, if you've ever even thought about writing a novel please take the 2 minute survey posted on my profile!**


	5. Hello, Goodbye

**A/N: So it turns out, starting a business while being employed full time is hard. I'm sorry I'm not posting as consistently as I would like and I know you would like. But I am about to ramp up now that the busiest season at my job is *finally* over and I have more time to do the things I want to do - namely write and post new chapters and kick things off with Wordly Women! Thank you to those of you who've been voting in the poll on my profile and who took that survey for my business, I really appreciate the support and I'm leaving both up for 1 more week.**

 **Ok, ok, I'll get on with posting now. Enjoy! And remember that I don't own these characters so please don't sue me!**

* * *

We landed in chaos.

Despite the fact that it was supposed to be a closed runway, British airline police were nearly fighting-back paparazzi who yelled and took pictures before we even exited the plane. As the King and Queen began to put themselves together, and Henri stood and stretched, I eyed Rosalie still staring out the window.

"Emmett, grab our things." I said absently as I unbuckled myself and went back over to her. She didn't respond when I sat down again, so I carefully brushed her hair back with my fingers. She turned to look at me, and when I stood she stood. I knew we had an understanding. Neither of us were going to talk about it but she clearly needed help, and I was going to help her.

"Rosalie, cherie, fix your hair." Her mother smiled at her, before fixing herself and glancing to the door of the plane. Without a word, once the Queen's attention was captured by something else, I brushed her hair out best as I could with my fingers. Rosalie is famous for her beautiful blonde hair, if it couldn't look ornate it could at least have life. Emmett gave me a bizarre look, before joining Henri behind the King and Queen. Arm in arm with Rosalie, I marched us up behind them all.

The door opened to screaming and flashing – both the aviation police doing their best to get the paparazzi back, and the paparazzi themselves doing their best to surge forward.

"Dauphine Rosalie! Dauphine Rosalie!" Out of all of us, she was the icon. Of course everyone's picture would be taken and circulated. But I knew that a clear shot of Rosalie waving and smiling would probably earn more money than a shot of all of us combined. I also knew there was no way that they were going to get it.

All of the bodyguards went first, ushering us down the ramp towards the car that was waiting to get us out of there. Their efforts were concentrated on making sure nobody got anywhere near the car, not on preserving Rosalie's public reputation. Nor, it seemed, did the King and Queen or even Henri, particularly care. I took a deep breath, and the second before we stepped forward I whispered to Rosalie

"Just keep walking, no matter what."

"Ciao!" I forced enthusiasm into my voice the second we were visible, waving, keeping my body just a bit in front of Rosalie's. Attention and cameras immediately turned towards me. Rosalie did her part, putting one foot in front of the other rapidly.

"Principessa! Dauphine! Are the rumors true? Are you really fast friends?" I spoke good English, but their words were fast. Rosalie kept walking.

"Can you speak slower, per favore? I'm not used to such fast English!" I called back, gently nudging Rose with my elbow to keep her hurrying along. I had most of the attention as the only person talking. Ahead of me Emmett shot me a strange look, before turning back around towards the limo.

"Is this your first time in London Principessa" "Dauphine how do you feel about Catherine's death?" The question was so bold and so rude, but beyond that I could feel a shudder pass through Rosalie's body. Ahead of us her family marched on, oblivious, but Rosalie could not be. And she would not want any of these people to get a picture of her crying, not for anything. Dauphine Rosalie Hale was not weak.

"Si, si, naturalmente!" I tried to flip my hair over my shoulder the way Rosalie did when she was done with the press. I probably looked silly, but I looked straight ahead. We were feet away from the car, her parents were inside it already. I felt another shake from Rosalie at the same time as a bright flash went off too close to our faces. One of the paparazzi had broken forward. I startled on purpose, pushing Rosalie forward out of his view and jumping away with a scream as if I thought he meant me harm. He couldn't hurt me, but as cameras flashed Rosalie was pulled forward into the limo and Gian Carlo was immediately at my side, body between me and the press, until I made it in too.

"Isabella I am so sorry that this was your introduction to England, the press here are animals." Queen Hale clutched a hand to her own heart as she absently rubbed Rosalie's leg. "Our Rosie is used to it, you really just have to ignore them, darling." Rosalie grabbed my hand, one quick gesture, before laying her head on her mother's shoulder and closing her eyes. I smiled but said nothing.

During the ride, I couldn't help staring out of the window. London's architecture was so sterile compared to what I was used to. It wasn't ornate like Italy or Spain or France or Portugal. But it was very interesting. The closer into the city we got, the more intrigued I became by everything we were seeing. I didn't look away from the window until we pulled up to the gates of Buckingham.

It took longer than King Hale liked for us to get cleared for entry, during which time he complained that nobody in England understood hospitality. When we were cleared we were driven right to the door and escorted out by the guard – their ceremonial red absent in favor of mourning black uniforms. Stepping out of the limo was somber. Two of the black-coated guards stood at either side of the doors, and as we got out we formed a sad procession to the front door. As we walked, Emmett pulled me aside, and we hovered at the back of the group.

"Isabella what is going on with you?" He asked me in rapid Italian.

"What do you mean?" I asked, avoiding the question. I knew what he meant, but I looked away, trying to move past him. He stopped me gently with a hand on my shoulder.

"Rosalie? I thought you did not like her, and she is not always…kind. You were helping her, why?"

"Emmett…" I didn't want to answer, and he knew it, but he kept his hand on my shoulder as we walked.

"Rosalie had every right not to like me, Emmett. It is not her fault that mother sent us to Versailles. But everyone deserves to grieve in private. Those paparazzo were vultures, she didn't deserve that."

Emmett's hand slid off my shoulder, and I hurried to catch up with the group. I could feel Emmett looking at my back, and I didn't want to see his disappointment. He gave me my space as we walked in, and for a moment I forgot that we had been speaking at all. Inside, Buckingham was absolutely beautiful. Unlike the modern, industrial buildings I had seen thus far in London, this building was old, elegant, and regal.

We were led to a parlor first, and told to expect the royal family any moment to welcome us before we went to our rooms. When I felt Emmett sit down next to me, I prepared myself for a lecture from him. Instead, he surprised me by pulling me into a hug.

"Sometimes I think we were born in the wrong order, Isabella. You are so noble. I know that some people think that makes you boring, but I am so very proud of the woman that you are, and so proud to be your brother."

"Emmett…" I was speechless. Emmett was never unkind to me, always an amazing brother, but he was never emotional either. He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead, before scooting to give me some space. Across the room I looked to where Henri sat speaking lowly to his father, while Rosalie's mother fussed with her hair. I reached out and squeezed Emmett's hand.

We waited almost half an hour until we were told the royal family was ready to receive us, and I could tell that Rosalie's parents were upset at first. But as the family walked into the room and we stood to receive them, it was impossible to be irritated. I have never before been in the presence of such tangible grief.

Queen Elizabet walked in first, and it was true what they say about her. Her figure, kind and grandmotherly in pictures, was imposing in real life. Both Rosalie and I stepped forward to curtsy to her, followed by Emmett and Henri bowing. She nodded, and then the rest of the family came in behind her. Lord Carlisle walked in first, standing tall, shoulders back. But despite his neutral expression he could not control the sadness in his eyes, even as he smiled at everyone.

Behind him came Lady Esme, and she hardly bothered to look put together. Physically, she was dressed well and her hair and makeup was done, but there was grief in every pore in her face. As soon as she saw Rosalie she held open her arms, and to my shock Rosalie practically lurched forward into them. With everyone looking on she clutched Rosalie close. As Rosalie sobbed violently onto her shoulder, Esme gently patted her hair, shedding a few of her own tears. I knew before that Kate and Rosalie had been close, but the violent despair in her silent sobbing caught me completely by surprise. As did the reactions of her family, who seemed as unsure of how to proceed as I was, even as Esme whispered something in Rosalie's ear and led her to a loveseat to sit and speak. It was the most intimate that I had ever seen Rosalie get with another human being.

I didn't notice that Edward had entered the room until suddenly Henri and Emmett were in front of him, shaking hands. But when I noticed him, I couldn't help but stare. I had thought that Esme's grief was the most visible, but I was wrong. She looked comparably stoic. Edward looked haggard. He had deep dark circles under his eyes, making his face look somehow puffy and gaunt all at once. He had much too much shadow for that time of day, and I knew he hadn't shaved that morning. His eyes looked dead, a dull color that couldn't seem to decide if it was green or gray. And this was the man, I realized, who was supposed to be finding a wife – thanks to his grandmother's machinations.

I knew what he was in for. Some of the girls around my age, especially those with lesser titles – the rare Viscountess or even Baroness whose father was rich enough to run in the right circles, were ruthless in their search for a more titled husband. My mother had been the rare Countess elevated to Princess, then Queen, thanks to the work of both her and her mother. According to her, the rules of the game never changed. I didn't want any part of it, and aside from a polite introduction I held myself apart from the family. I would not intrude on their grief.

It was nearly 2 hours before we left the room, and I tried to remain politely distant the entire time, excusing myself at the first opportunity to "refresh" myself in my room. We had a private suite for the family, and I did my best to settle in. A few hours later Mother and Father arrived and were also received by the grieving family, though when mother politely ordered me into the room I found a reason not to go. I knew my mother would be upset, but I couldn't handle the awkward without Nessie, who got to stay in Spain with her future husband.

The emphasis my mother placed on future husband was enough to make an already tough day feel somehow bleaker. Making matters worse, I didn't reconnect with my family until they came up to prepare for dinner.

It was strange getting ready with only my mother's watchful eye, after spending so long being prepared everyday by a team. Of course, my mother scrutinized enough for everyone. Under her direction my hair was curled and arranged, I was dressed in a black dress I knew she had purchased for me, and she re-did my eyes to make them "more impactful" all the while lamenting that I didn't get blue eyes from her like Emmett and Ines.

As a family, we went down to dinner, where I finally saw some other people.

"Princess Isabella, you will be sitting at this table." Seconds before I sat down next to Emmett, a maid came up to me and borrowed me away with a smile, leading me to a table with the royal family – minus Edward – and nothing but young, single women. She sat me next to Rosalie, and I slid into my seat warily.

"Good evening, Princess." Lady Esme greeted. I looked around the table, but I didn't recognize many of the women. I of course knew my fellow Princesses: Lucia and Anika Whitlock the German Princesses and twins, Princess Tanya from Russia, and Princess Jane of Greece. The few other women assembled I assumed had to be English, and I knew none of them. I faintly wondered why Alice wasn't present, but my attention was quickly diverted by a loud gasp. As I looked up, Prince Edward walked into the room.

He looked the same as earlier, except perhaps more tired. As he sat down I realized I was just one over from him, he was seated directly across from Rosalie and Anika. I was across from Carlisle, and until that moment I hadn't even questioned why Edward, not Carlisle, was seated at the center of the table.

"Good evening, ladies." Edward greeted. His voice was hoarse, and he didn't meet any of our eyes, but it didn't matter. The second he spoke, a woman seated two seats to my right broke out into a loud giggle.

"Oh Edward, no need to be so formal. You know most of us!"

"Oh Siobhan, how common of you." I had no idea who the two women were, but as dark-haired Siobhan was chastised by the smug-looking blonde I wished desperately that I had an excuse to leave the table. Next to me Rosalie rolled her eyes, before leaning in to me.

"Manon and Loane arrive tomorrow, and they'll run circles around stuffy English girls. Not that it matters, they can't afford to train up a Duchess to be a Queen, they don't have the time. He has to pick a Princess, I just hope that all of the other royal families crowding around like vultures is enough to appease the harpies."

Rosalie leaned away with a bland smile, as if she'd merely asked about the weather, before gesturing subtly around the room. As I glanced around, I caught the eye of several people of all ages surveying us, some with envy, some with curiosity, some with open hostility. I turned away politely, refocusing my attention just in time for food to be placed in front of me. For the rest of the meal I tried to mind my manners, ignore the chatter of women around me trying to capture Edward's interest, and especially ignore the overwhelming sadness of the family seated across from us.

The next morning, I woke to the gentle hands of Mirene shaking me awake, and confused I blinked stupidly at her.

"La Dauphine insists that just because we are here does not mean that you should be ugly, and your mother la Reine has agreed. I am here to dress you for breakfast. And you have a visitor." It took me a moment to absorb what she said, adjusting to the French after hearing so much English, then I sighed. I was perhaps less concerned about my appearance than I should have been, but clearly my mother had thought ahead.

"Of course." I acquiesced, letting Mirene corral me into a chair as she began to pick out my clothing. I wasn't even surprised when Sophie came and started on my hair, carefully brushing it out and spraying each individual curl in a way that she'd previously assured me gave me ultimate volume and shine.

"Oh! Who came to see me?" I remembered. Mirene went to the door, but before I could ask her not to open it, a tiny blur ran in.

"Isabella!"

"Alice?" I was so excited to see her I almost leapt out of my chair, but I knew Mirene and Sophie would lose their minds. As Sophie finished up with my hair, Alice came over and swiftly kissed my cheeks.

"Is this courtesy of La Dauphine?" Alice asked, taking in Sophie's work under Mirene's watchful eyes.

"Of course."

"Isabella you are so glamorous now, I wish I could go to Versailles." I felt a bit bad for being annoyed after taking in Alice's wistful expression. Unlike my mother, Alice's mother was a traditionalist and a staunch catholic. The idea of sending any of her children to go "wild" like Rosalie would likely send her to an early grave. Instead of responding, I clutched Alice's hand.

"Alice, why did you not arrive yesterday?" I expected Alice to launch into a story about her mother, but instead she waved my question away.

"Are you ready to explore?" She asked. Then she leaned in closer to me, "would they do me too, if I asked?" I nodded. Unlike me, Alice would love being pampered.

"Mirene, after me will you please style Alice? I know she is small and won't fit my clothes but perhaps at least give direction to her makeup and hair?" I asked, but we both knew it was not a question. Mirene smiled, gesturing for Alice to take a seat on the edge of my bed.

"Ah, another beauty." Mirene said in heavily accented English. Alice beamed at the compliment.

"Would you ever a haircut?" Mirene asked, pulling Alice's long black hair over into her hands. I wanted to keep looking at Alice, but Sophie turned my face to apply more makeup to my other side.

"Sophie…" Mirene uttered instructions in French so quickly that I was surprised that Sophie even understood. Sophie nodded, continuing with me as if nothing had changed. I was finally turned back the other way, to see Mirene grasping Alice's hair in a fist, rolling it up until it fell just brushing her shoulders. She held up a mirror. I expected Alice to disagree, but she nodded.

Then Sophie was holding a mirror up to my face. I never got used to seeing how the two of them could transform me. I was the only one to inherit my father's dark hair and eyes, Nessie taking our mother's light hair and eyes, and Emmett taking father's hair but mother's eyes. I felt normal, Italian through and through, but under Mirene and Sophie's direction I felt exotic, beautiful. I smiled at my reflection, but turned to watch Sophie pull out a pair of scissors. Mirene helped me out of my chair and put Alice in, and before either of us could say anything the first cut was made and Alice went from having hair longer than mine to a straight line just past her shoulders.

I held back a gasp, instead giving Alice an encouraging smile as Sophie handed her about a foot of her own hair. I was shocked, but Alice smiled harder.

"My head feels so light!" She laughed, as Sophie continued to snip at her hair. I just stared. If you had asked me if Alice would look good with a haircut I would have said no, but it clearly suited her. The shorter her hair got, the more her bone structure emerged. I always though she had a round face, but as Sophie snipped I realized it was more pixie like, her jawline more angled. Before my eyes Alice got older looking, in a good way. Then, the makeup. Sophie used much bolder colors than she had ever used for me – a deep black eyeliner, very pink rouge, and a bright red lip. By the time she was done, I almost didn't recognize Alice. She looked like a Queen. And the second Sophie showed her reflection, Alice's entire countenance lit up.

"I look beautiful." She beamed at Mirene, then Sophie.

"You are beautiful." Mirene corrected gently, smiling. I realized then how happy Mirene was, how much she loved doing this. I took Alice's hand.

"Ready to go show the world the new Maria Alice?" Alice beamed and nodded, showing off deep cheekbones.

"When you return, I will have new clothes for her, if it's okay Principessa?" Mirene asked. The smile in Alice's face was all the answer I needed, and I nodded.

"We are very, uh, conservative in Portugal. Nothing like Rosalie." Alice cut in, eyes wide. Mirene nodded, and then she and Sophie excused themselves from my room.

"Alright, ready to go, Alice?" Alice nodded, no longer concerned about her plain black dress. Mirene had laid out for me a knee-length black dress that cut in tight at my waist and made me look smaller than I was, and as soon as I changed we were out the door.

"Ready to explore?" Alice laughed freely, clutching my hand, as we sat in the back of a car with our bodyguards. We'd avoided my mother and the press by going out a side staff entrance, and we hoped that if we played our cards right we could continue to do so. I felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that my mother would be upset I hadn't spent the day hunting down Edward. But I tried to push it away by promising myself to at least try to know him the next day, and reasoning that spending 1 day with my best friend wouldn't send him into the arms of someone else.

We saw so much of London. Because of Rosalie I made sure to snapchat and Instagram myself everywhere we went – Big Ben, the Tower of London, lunch at the Shard, and all over London. We weren't able to do anything like the Eye where we couldn't get away quickly if need be, but we still had fun. People sometimes recognized me if we lingered somewhere, causing us to quickly pose for pictures then dart out before the press could arrive. I could tell Alice, especially, was enjoying the social media so I helped her set up her own accounts, tagging her new accounts in some pictures like Rosalie had for me so that she could begin to build up her own followers as well.

We got back to the cast hours later, and I immediately sought out Rosalie. She was in her suite with Loane, Manon, and Vera, all of whom eyed us as we entered.

"Bien fait" Rosalie smiled as we entered, waving her phone and flashing me my own Instagram.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. Gone was the fragile Rosalie from the day before. In her place was confident, in-charge Rosalie. She waved my question off.

"I don't believe we've met. You're Maria from Portugal?" Rosalie stood, walking up to kiss Alice's cheeks. Alice smiled back.

"It's Alice. But pleased to meet you." Rosalie raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, not as much like Isabella as I thought. You've got spunk. Edward will probably like you, Kate had spunk." I could tell that Rosalie meant the words to be kind, but Alice's face fell.

"What?" Rosalie asked defensively. When Alice tried to smile again Rosalie shook her head.

"No. Tell me what's wrong. Do you not like Edward?" Alice frowned, then glanced apologetically to me before reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a beautiful ring, emerald lined with a large diamond in the center and slipped it onto her left ring finger. An engagement ring.

"I am not here to get to know Edward." Alice looked straight at me. "I am here because my mother saw this as a wonderful opportunity to endear myself to my future husband." I could read in her body language that Alice was not pleased, and I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. Despite how controlling her mother could be, I knew Alice hoped to marry for love. Because it was her older sister Cintia that would inherit the crown, she hoped that she'd be allowed to. It was clear, in that moment, that her mother and father had decided otherwise.

"That ring is obscene! Vera exclaimed, stepping forward in a rare display to grab Alice's hand."

"Rose, do you think Henri will get me one comme ca?"

"Let's see if he proposes at all." Rose quickly shut Vera up, staring at Alice staring at me.

"If my parents tried to force me to marry someone I would probably lose my mind. Who's The lucky guy? I don't know any of the Portuguese." Strangely, I could tell this was Rosalie's attempt to be kind. Alice frowned, delicately sliding the ring off of her finger and putting it back in her pocket. She rolled her shoulders back, standing straight up.

"He is not Portuguese. Three weeks ago my father went on a diplomatic mission to visit Germany and brought me along. I thought it was their attempt to give me a vacation because I couldn't go to Versailles with Isabella. I spoke to him twice, and then Prince Jasper gave me this ring the day before we left. It seems my mother has decided that both of her daughters will be queens."

The room was silent for a moment, until Rosalie slumped into a seat.

"Damn, if my mother finds out she's going to push me even harder to catch Edward." She said, frowning. I frowned too. I'd had the same thought, of course, but I never would have voiced it out loud. Holding back a glare, I turned to Alice.

"Is he so bad? I've heard some good things, he seems to be a gentleman. He has no children, no reputation of any kind."

"Bella, I've never been to Germany before that trip. I don't even speak German. The only thing I wanted, the only thing, was to find my own husband. And mother decided she had a better idea. This is all her, I know it, father would never have thought of it. I wish I could run. I'll hate him, I know I will. Mother barely likes father, and she wants me to be just like her. A miserable Queen."

"But Alice," I said, as delicately as I could, "you must have known this was a possibility." Rosalie and her clique were ignoring us, I could tell, trying to give us a semblance of privacy. Alice stepped forward and threw her arms around me.

"That doesn't make it any less terrifying." She spoke into my ear at a soft whisper. I hugged her back, rubbing her back as I looked for the words to calm her down.

"Alice, I know you're scared. But maybe it's a good thing you're here. Your parents are acting in your best interest, and the best interest of Portugal, right? I know you wanted a love match, but you're a Principessa Alice, not some common girl. And one day you will be a Queen. This, this is our duty Alice. You will marry Jasper, and I will try to marry Edward. Because it's what is asked of us." I smiled gently at her when I was done, and Alice sighed and smiled sadly back at me. I expected her to agree, but she shook her head.

"I forgot who I was talking to. I really believe that if you were in my shoes you would be resigned, try to be excited. But I'm not you, Bella. I am disappointed. And I know your country comes first with you, always. But Bella, you should want to speak up about what you want. And I hope one day you realize that you don't have to take everything that life throws at you with a polite smile and a straight spine. You're a person first, Bella, please don't forget that."

Before I could react Alice kissed me on my cheeks, then quick as a whip was sat next to Vera asking her about Henri. Then Rosalie was asking me about our day and if I remembered to smile whenever someone recognized me and took a picture and soon Alice's advice was the last thing on my mind.


	6. His Royal Highness

**A/N: Hi ladies! I know that a lot of us on here are writers with our own stories to tell, and I *have* to invite you guys to check out Words in Progress. Very soon a cohort of women are going to be taking on the challenge of writing first draft novels, together! There's going to be support, inspiration, tracking, community, and most importantly accountability. If this is something you'd like to learn more about, check out wordlywomen dot org for all of the details - I'd love to meet some of the ppl who read my stories, and whose stories I read!**

 **Also, I finally got around to creating my FB page! You can find me at facebook dot com /Chi-Obasi-316888969103636! Now on with the story, whose characters I do not own but whose plot could only come from my weird head.**

* * *

The next day, I had to be on my best behavior with Mother. Alice and I were styled and dressed again by Mirene, but from the second I was dressed my Mother had me by her side.

"Isabella, have you even spoken to Edward?"

"It was one day, Mother." Emmett cut in, rolling his eyes. "How is Ines?"

"Ines, is getting acquainted with Spain, and sends her condolences. Your other sister, however, is unmarried, and doesn't seem to want to fix that."

"Alright, I will try harder today." I said to mediate the tension. Mother fussed with my hair a bit.

"My beautiful Principessa." She sighed.

"Come, let's go to breakfast."

The four of us went down as a family, Father silent and Mother fussing with my hair or clothes every few minutes and offering me advice on how to capture his eye. Right before we entered the large dining area where the families were being served, I rolled my shoulders back into good posture and prepared myself to be more present in the breakfast conversation.

As we stepped inside, I first noticed that there were many more families there than at our last meal. Then I noticed that everyone's attention was focused somewhere, and for once it was not the table where Prince Edward sat between his parents. I turned to look, and caught sight of Alice standing next to a very blonde man I knew must be her intended.

"Maybe you could have learned a thing or two from Sulpicia," Mother startled me, nodding to where Alice's mother stood near the couple, beaming from ear to ear.

"The rumor is the poor German King has been sickly for months. God bless his soul but the little Principessa could be a sitting Queen within the year. She is your friend, go congratulate her. With any luck the two of you will be Queens together." I looked up at mother, who stood with a slight, occasion-appropriate smile as though she hadn't said a thing. There was no point telling Mother that Alice and I had already spoken and she wasn't exactly in the mood to be congratulated. Instead I nodded, approaching their table.

Alice's entire countenance changed as I walked up. Where before she wore a polite smile, her eyes lit up as I approached. To my surprise, she reached her hands out for me, and pulled me into a hug when I got close.

"Help me." She whispered into my ear, pressing her cheek to mine. "Minha Mãe is killing me, she hates my haircut and says Jasper will too." She pulled back then, not even glancing back at her mother but instead smoothing her hair.

"Principe Jasper it is so nice to meet you." I smiled at him, using the Italian honorific because I didn't know the German.

"Lovely to meet a friend of Maria Alice's, Principessa." He smiled kindly at me, his accent much less noticeable than mine or Alice's. He smiled down at her as well, but Alice broke the eye contact.

"I wanted to come personally congratulate the two of you on your engagement, and see if Alice was still as fond of her new haircut."

"Thank you, Isabella. And yes, I love my hair." Alice raised her voice slightly, letting it carry to where her mother stood. As I hoped, Jasper cut in as well.

"You helped with the decision? I loved your hair before, but your hair now is a masterpiece. You are absolutely beautiful, Maria Alice." Jasper once again smiled at Alice, who gave him a polite smile back before turning to give me a genuine smile. We both knew her mother would have heard.

From the few minutes I had spent with them, I realized that Alice was not planning on making the engagement easy for Jasper. But he was clearly trying to make it easier for her.

"Principe, do you speak Portuguese?" I asked him. He pronounced Alice's name with a very native cadence that, though I knew she didn't like it, I felt made Alice's full name sound regal.

"Not very much, but I am learning." He smiled, revealing very white teeth. Standing next to Alice they made a study in contrast, him being tall and pale with blonde features, and Alice being petite with her dark hair and eyes and tan. Before I could say anything else, there was a light tap at my shoulder.

"Maria Alice, Jasper, congratulations on your upcoming nuptials." My mother cut in, smiling. I knew it was time to go. Leaving Alice with a hug, I went to take my place at the head table. Once again, I sat next to Rosalie, however instead of the English duchesses on my other side was Tanya, who looked like a doll with her curled blonde hair and bright eyes. Next to her was Jane, tanned with perfectly straightened blonde hair, and next to Rose were Jasper's sisters. That was it. Every other titled woman was sitting with her family and staring at us, often with ill-disguised contempt.

"Good morning, ladies." Esme captured our attention, smiling warmly at us all. Her eyes still looked haunted, but she held her composure and looked better-rested than when I'd first seen her.

"Good morning." We all chorused.

"It is kind of you all to join us, even if the occasion is so unfortunate." Her voice broke on the last word, but like good Princesses we all ignored it.

"We are so sorry for your loss, all of you." Lucia spoke for herself and her sister. With dark hair and the same bright eyes as her brother, Lucia was striking. Anika, her twin, had inherited their grandmother's fiery red hair but, if the rumors were to be believed, none of her personality. She simply smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." Carlisle returned the smile, then smiled at all of us. I glanced from him to Edward, who lowered his eyes as our eyes met. But I remembered what I promised my mother.

"It is so kind of you, to treat your guests with such courtesy in such a difficult time." I smiled softly at them, hoping that I conveyed my admiration well in English. I meant it; if Emmett had died, even with mother and father pushing me, I doubted I would keep my composure as well as they were. Both Esme and Carlisle returned my smile; Edward nodded.

"Thank you." He said, glancing at his empty plate.

The meal continued. It became obvious quickly that Edward wouldn't be moved to conversation, but the women at the table conversed around him. By the time breakfast was over, I'd learned nothing about Edward but a lot about the other women at the table.

As the meal drew to a close, Esme cleared her throat softly, cutting Carlisle off mid-sentence.

"Ladies, it has been an absolute pleasure having breakfast with you. Tonight, there will be no formal dinner. However, it would please us all greatly if you would all agree to have dinner with our family." She smiled at the end, the least genuine smile she'd given thus far.

We all said yes. We all knew what she was really asking. Could we all come be scrutinized more privately to see if any of us were unsuitable to be Edward's wife. My own mother had dissuaded Emmett away from a few duchesses, including Angela, with the same tactic.

Once we all agreed, our plates were cleared and we were free to go. I lingered, knowing that if Edward remained my mother would want me to get his attention. I needn't have bothered. As soon as his plate was cleared Edward stood, nodded to all of us, and left the room.

As I left the table, aware of Rosalie following behind me, I was almost knocked over by a set of arms around me.

"Isabella your plan worked even better than you thought!" Alice squealed, hugging me even tighter.

"What plan?" Rosalie asked from behind me. I couldn't see her but I knew she'd have her expectant look, one eyebrow raised.

"Because Jasper said he liked my new haircut, Mãe wants me to spend time with Isabella and you. She said that if Jasper wants me to be wild and modern then I won't learn it from her. Bella, she wants me to spend all of my time with you! Well ,with you and Rosalie." Alice squeezed again, before stepping back and smiling at Rosalie.

"See? You do one nice thing, and then you're rewarded with another." Rosalie huffed, but I knew that was an agreement. If she didn't want to spend time with her, she would have told Alice to get lost. Clearly Alice knew it too, because Rosalie was the next reluctant recipient of a tight hug.

"That stops, now." Rosalie ordered, stepping back the second Alice let her go. It was her serious voice, but Alice rolled her eyes right back and broke eye contact. It seemed that Rosalie and Alice were well-matched.

"What were you –"

"Bounjour Dauphines!" Cyriel cut Alice off with a cheery hello, grinning from ear to ear.

"She just told Makenna from Sweden that she needs to pluck her unibrow." Manon informed us, walking up with Loane.

"She looked like she was going to cry." Cyriel was still smiling. Alice glanced between the three girls and Rosalie in fascination, before turning to me.

"Are they always like this?" Alice whispered to me. I nodded, but before she could speak again we were joined by a different royal presence.

"Maria Alice." Jasper smiled down at Alice, who gave him a polite smile before turning away towards me.

"Principe, how nice of you to join us." I smiled at him, resisting the urge to stare Alice down. To my left, the clique had gone quiet to stare at all of us.

"Please, call me Jasper. I understand you are Maria Alice's good friend?"

"How kind of you Jasper. Yes, we are very close. Between us, without her mother around she's just Alice. No need for her formal name, it's not her favorite." Alice subtly slid her hand around my arm to pinch me, hard, but Jasper smiled.

"Of course, Alice." He glanced down at her as though she'd personally invited him.

"The ring you gave Alice is absolutely beautiful!" Cyriel beamed at Jasper, temporarily taking his attention from Alice. Alice quickly stepped over to me, threading an arm through mine.

"If you will excuse us, Jasper, us girls had plans." Alice lied. Jasper looked a bit startled.

"Oh I had hoped…well never mind. Enjoy your day, I'll see you at dinner ladies, Alice." Jasper nodded his head to us all, walking away with a strong posture that didn't quite make it to his shoulders.

"Alice that was rude." I raised an eyebrow at her, but she waved me away.

"Rosalie, what were your plans for today?" She asked, steering the conversation away from me altogether.

Rosalie glanced between me and Alice, and then rolled her eyes up to the ceiling before giving us a bored look.

"I was going to check in with Esme, I suppose you both can come with us. She'll be happy to see that I have new friends."

"I wouldn't want to intr - " I stared to excuse us, cut off by Alice pinching my arm, hard.

"Thank you, Rosalie. Whenever you're ready." Alice ignored my pointed stare, so the five of us followed Rosalie as she left the area we were dining and walked confidently down a series of hallways. There were several guards posted in the halls, but none stopped us or even moved as we walked, until we stopped in front of a set of wooden double doors.

"The Queen is not receiving guests at the moment." The guard to the right spoke without seeming to move a single unnecessary muscle.

"You may inform her that La Dauphine Rosalie and her friends have come to offer their personal condolences." Rosalie raised an eyebrow, and the guard nodded sharply, turned, and entered the room. Moments later the door opened and without even waiting for confirmation Rosalie strode in – the rest of us quickly following. We barely made it five feet in before Esme pulled Rosalie into another deep embrace. This time the tears were in Esme's eyes, though she didn't let them fall.

After their long hug, she stepped back, straightened her clothing, and turned to smile sadly at us all.

"If you'll forgive me, the last time I saw Rosalie, she and Katherine were planning her wedding. It is difficult, to be with one and not the other."

"I'm sure we all understand." I tried to smile kindly, and got a small smile in response.

"Esme, there is no need for formality with Alice or Isabella, they aren't that type of girl. We came here to check on you, that's it. How are you doing? How's Carlisle? I haven't been able to grab a minute with him and I'm...worried." It was more genuine care or concern than I had heard in Rosalie's voice yet. I was starting to get the picture of what Rosalie's friendship with Kate had been, what exactly she had lost. I knew they were friends, but it hadn't occurred to me that her closeness extended to the family.

"Oh Rose, you dote on us more than our own children. Carlisle and I are fine, dear girl. We are, holding up. Of course we – losing a child is one of the most heart -" Esme cut herself off as her voice broke, and took a deep breath.

"I am just so thankful that Kate had a friend like you. And I'm glad to see you've made...new friends." She smiled delicately at Alice and I, then at Loane, Manon, and Cyriel.

"We miss her too, Esme." Manon extended a hand, which Esme grasped with another small, sad smile.

"Are you sure you and Carlisle don't need anything?"

"I am sure, sweetheart. Go, settle in with your friends. Ladies, it was lovely to see you again. Isabella, Rose, I look forward to seeing you at dinner." It was a dismissal, albeit a polite one. Rosalie gave Esme one last hug, while Manon stopped Loane from curtsying with a gentle hand to her arm. It took me a moment to remember that Esme was also a Duchess, which didn't necessitate a formal goodbye.

I wouldn't have minded going back to my room with Alice to hear more about her engagement to Jasper, but she wanted to spend the day with Rosalie. So, we did.

Cyriel delighted in meeting the other duchesses from other countries, though it was more to one-up them than to socialize. Manon and Loane, though the quieter members of the clique, were lively compared to some of the duchesses. None of the duchesses from Italy had come which made sense, since anyone who knew my mother knew that she'd take that as a personal slight against me. After socializing, we retreated for the rest of the day to Henri's room – where I was surprised to find my brother, Jasper, a few other princes and dukes, and a bored looking Vera.

I didn't speak much, but Alice was having a blast giggling and joking with Manon and Cyriel until Jasper came and sat near us. From that point on, she became much more subdued and quiet, especially evasive when he tried to speak to her. It was so unlike Alice, and I couldn't tell if it was nerves or if she was deliberately snubbing him.

When it was time to get ready for dinner, Alice followed me back to my room. Her reasoning was that since she wasn't going, she could help my mother and Mirene get me ready, but I suspected she wanted an excuse to leave Jasper.

Mother deferred to Mirene's judgment, which was a shock. She and Alice watched Mirene and Sophie get me ready, my mother only ever asking questions or making small suggestions. Alice just seemed enraptured. She was startled when, after they were done with me, Mirene and Sophie asked her to sit down so they could get her ready for dinner as well.

"Oh, no I'm not dining with the royal family this evening." Alice shook her head, but Mirene sighed somewhat impatiently.

"Mlle la Dauphine, your mother la Reine sent word to us earlier that you will be dining with your fiancé this evening, and asked us to help because she is not…well, because he liked a style more like Isabella's."

"Oh, how darling!" My mother smiled, ushering Alice into a chair. She absolutely preened as Mirene and Sophie went to work on Alice, until she looked radiant. Again, it was a bolder look than any I'd seen them do for me, but it suited her. She looked mature and almost powerful, and she smiled gratefully at Mirene and Sophie when she saw herself.

My mother excused herself shortly after the two of them left, to get ready for dinner herself. Only then, did Alice's confident façade crumble.

"They made me too pretty." She sighed wistfully, her smile dropping. I debated saying anything, but the need to speak up triumphed over what I knew Alice wanted to hear.

"Alice, don't you think you're being a bit unfair in how you're reacting? You weren't yourself today. Why won't you speak to Jasper? You're going to be marrying him. Don't you at least want to know him?"

"Bella, just because my fate has been decided for me doesn't mean I need to go calmly and willingly forward into it."

"It's not about calmly and willingly Alice, it's a done deal. He's going to be a part of your life for the rest of your life, and that means you'll need to get to know each other. He can't know you if you don't let him."

"I don't need him to know me. And I don't need to know him, Isabella. I have no interest in getting to know him, even if he is to be my husband." I wanted to argue, but I could see from the set in Alice's face that she'd made her mind up. For all that I couldn't understand her, it was her right.

"Well, he seems to want to know you." I shrugged, ignoring Alice scrunching her face and rolling her eyes.

"Why are we speaking about this, we should be speaking about you? Have you spoken to Edward yet, do you like him?"

"Edward will most likely marry Rosalie, Alice. You saw the way she already fits into the family. But I am excited for dinner."

"Well do you want him to want to marry Rosalie?" Alice raised her eyebrow.

"I want to represent Italy well. My parents aren't close with Queen Elizabeth or with the Duke and Duchess. This is a great opportunity for Emmett to be closer with Edward. And if they choose me, of course I would marry him. But Rosalie is the logical choice."

"Honestly Bella, that's not what I asked." Alice sighed at me, patting me on the shoulder. She looked like she wanted to say more, but there was a knock on the door.

"That's for you." Alice smiled, and hustled to open the door.

"Princess Isabella, are you ready? I am here to escort you to dinner." A small girl with a round face smiled at me through the open door. I smoothed my dress down and started walking out. We were halfway down the hallway when I realized Alice wasn't walking with us, and I turned to see her standing in the doorway.

"Aren't you coming to dinner? You will be late if you don't leave soon." I tried to keep my voice low as I called down the hallway.

"You're the one with a dinner appointment, Bella." That was a no, but Alice knew I wouldn't call her out on it. Instead I turned to my companion and allowed her to escort me to dinner.

The private dining room itself was smaller than I'd expected, but beautifully decorated. Unlike parts of Buckingham which I'd found a bit austere, it was modern and luxurious but also had that subtle touch that made it feel like home. The royal family, minus the Queen, sat at the table. Edward was sandwiched between his parents. Rosalie sat next to Esme, and Tanya sat next to Rosalie. As I walked forward Carlisle and Edward stood, and Carlisle gestured to the seat to his right.

"Princess." I smiled my thanks, and dutifully took the offered seat as it was pulled out for me.

"Good evening, everyone." I greeted the table. Rosalie looked beautiful as usual, though I was surprised to see her less adorned than I expected. She looked pretty but in a simple, effortless way. Next to her, Tanya once again looked like a doll with her large blue eyes framed by lashes that had to be synthetic, and white-blonde barrel curls. She beamed as we made eye contact, before averting her eyes.

"Good evening, Principessa." It took me a moment too long to place the voice. Edward no longer sounded despondent; his voice was pleasantly deep and though he didn't look happy he also didn't look as miserable as he once had. He glanced at me, and I was surprised by how green his eyes were. We broke eye contact when Lucia and Anika walked in.

I had previously thought that Lucia's dark hair was natural, but earlier Rosalie had informed me that she naturally had the same red hair as her sister. The darker hair suited her features better, and she wore it piled on top of her head in an elaborate up-do that somehow drew more attention to her eyes. Beside her Anika's hair was in a simple crown braid, and it was immediately clear that she wasn't meant to be the magnet for attention between the pair.

Anika was seated next to me, and Lucia next to Tanya, leaving one empty seat between them for Jane, who walked in with a wide smile and full of apologies as she completed our circle.

As soon as she sat we were served our first course, and the conversation began.

"Rosalie, how is Henri? I haven't seen as much of him as I expected." Rosalie's eyes tightened and I know she heard the slight censure in Carlisle's voice. It was true – as the future King of France, Henri was expected to spend his time at least attempting to speak with Edward and Carlisle and even Elisabeth when he could. Instead, he'd spent much of his time in his room with and without Vera.

"Henri has found this transition to your way of life to be very challenging, but I know that he means no offense and he offers his deepest condolences. His intended, Vera, has also been adjusting. Perhaps I can bring the two of them the next time we speak so that they can see there is nothing to struggle with." Rosalie smiled demurely, and I had to hold in a smile as well.

Not only had she defended her brother by suggesting that his breach of manners came from his relationship which, while not necessarily permittable was understandable, but she'd also subtly reminded the rest of the women in the room that she had a personal relationship with the royal family that none of the rest of them did.

"Principessa, how are you finding your transition to London?" Again Edward's voice startled me. It took me a second too long to realize that he was speaking to me – using the Italian honorific to be specific – and I covered it with a small smile.

"I wish it was due to better circumstances. London is very different from what I am used to. It is modern and metal where I am used to classic and marble and stone. But I have appreciated what I have seen so far and I am excited to learn more about London."

"Tanya, this is your first time here as well?" Everyone turned to glance at Esme, then Tanya, but Edward gave me a small smile as I finished speaking.

"Da! I find London to be so beautiful and exciting! Moscow is similar, a mix of modern and traditional and I like that London is so familiar."

"Anika, we were all so excited to hear the news of your brother's engagement. Have the two of you spent much time with Maria Alice?" It was Carlisle's turn to ask.

"We have not." Anika began, and Lucia smiled and hurried to finish her sister's thought.

"Of course we are so excited to be gaining another sister. Principessa Isabella you are her close friend, are you not? Perhaps we can spend more time together to know her. She is very beautiful, but seems very quiet."

At that, Rosalie coughed, waving away the concerned waiter who came to attend her.

"I did not mean to interrupt you, Lucia. I must have something in my throat." I knew why she coughed, though. Alice was not at all quiet, but I could see how they would have that opinion. I wondered if Alice would laugh if she knew, or if she wouldn't care at all.

"What of you Prinkipissa Jane?" Carlisle continued.

"What I think of Maria Alice? I haven't met her, but I love England. Edward you may not remember but this was my first diplomatic visit, when we were both younger. I never forgot that. I've always loved England, and it's horrible that it takes such a tragedy for me to come back." If anyone noticed that she addressed Edward so informally nobody commented.

The conversation continued a bit more naturally at that point. Carlisle brought up a trivial aspect of English politics and we all did our best, except perhaps Anika, to demonstrate our ability to carry on a political conversation.

I found myself observing more than speaking as the conversation carried on. Jane was more demure than I'd expected, though still charming and friendly. I could tell she and Tanya were close, the more Jane spoke the more Tanya seemed to feed off it – and of course Tanya was adorable and had the sweet as sugar personality to match. Lucia was a more domineering, bold personality than anyone else, beautiful and take charge in a way that was at some times alluring and at other times off-putting. Anika by contrast was almost nonexistent in the conversation, unless someone directly engaged her. Rosalie…was part of the family. She was herself, but she was also more than I had ever seen her before – and it was instantly clear to the rest of us how close the relationship was.

As dinner went on, Carlisle and Esme led the conversation, but Edward did his best to remain engaged. He asked about our countries and our families, and would sometimes offer a humorous or caring response to others' statements. More than once we locked eyes and I was forced to pause and take a breath. He was handsome, in a very different way from Emmett or Jacob or most of the other men I'd had occasion to meet. But he was also clearly heartbroken over the loss of his sister, and despite myself I questioned the logic of Elisabet not pushing back her timeline to grant him reprieve.

"Ladies, thank you so much for your company." When the last desserts were consumed and apperativo's sipped, Edward was the first to stand. With a quick, stiff bow he dismissed the table and took his leave. By the time Bella stood, Rosalie was at her elbow.

"Will you come with me to my room?"

"Of course." I was not surprised. One of Rosalie's favorite activities seemed to be dissecting the behavior of everyone around her, and I was her only sounding board.

We walked in silence, Rosalie with a faint smile on her face. The second we entered her room we were bombarded by Manon, Loane, Vera, and – to my surprise – Alice.

"How was it?" "What happened?" "Any contenders?" "What was it like?" They all spoke at once, but while I processed Rosalie beamed and responded.

"Edward could not take his eyes off of our Principessa." She said it in French, not English, and it took my brain a second to make the jump. Loane leaned over and whispered it in Alice's ear as I stared at Rosalie in shock. But once my mind caught up, I could feel a blush spread across my face.

"Not true." I said, in quick, sharp English. Rosalie laughed.

"It is. Carlisle was getting frustrated with him."

"He asked all of you questions." Rosalie waved me off and changed the subject, but I was left reeling by what she'd said. I wasn't sure if I should want it to be true, or hope that she was wrong.


	7. Pleasant Surprise

**A/N: Hey everyone! Everything has settled down with my business and with my job. It's NaNo - which means that I'm constantly writing not just the novel I'm working on but also fanfic! Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, hopefully you enjoy this!**

 **Read on, and remember that I don't own this world, but I do own my plot!**

* * *

For the next week, the priority of the English royal family was to prepare for the funeral. I found out through Rosalie that the bodies had been recovered, but that it was agreed that a closed casket was best. I also met Garrett's family, and his parents Peter and Charlotte seemed to be struggling just as much, along with his elder sister Chelsea. If the Cullens were the focus of everyone in the room, their family were ghosts – almost always absent even when physically present. It made me sympathize that much more with the royal family, who couldn't pick and choose when they could be private about their grief.

Every morning, our cohort of Princesses would eat a formal breakfast with whomever of the royal family attended breakfast. The Queen never did, so typically it was the seven of us, Carlisle, Esme, and Edward. Twice, Edward missed breakfast altogether as we feasted with his parents. There were a few nights when the family invited us to dinner as well, sometimes with Edward and sometimes with only his parents. We began to know each other more and I began to see the similarities and differences between us and our countries' politics and dynamics.

The morning of the funeral, there was no formal breakfast served. There was a very private reception that only a few families were invited to, as well as the seven of us, during which Esme sobbed openly into Carlisle's shoulder and both he and Edward shed more than a few tears. Rosalie again sat with their family rather than her own, though she mostly seemed to be another support for Esme. But during the formal funeral and procession the three Cullens, plus the Queen, were stoic. Rosalie stayed with her family, not a hair out of place.

The morning after the funeral began the nebulous and – according to my mother – tedious grieving process. To show our respect after a death, everyone in the royal community stays with the grieving royal family as we are able, supposedly to guide them through their grief. The true motivation once stemmed from a desire to be sure that no one monarchy was able to take advantage of another's weakened state. But now, there is a level of trust that it's become just another nice, formal ritual we all observe. Every country handles it differently, but every country leaves a delegation. In the case of Italy, my father returned home but my mother, Emmett, and I stayed.

Mother left Buckingham and moved into a suite in a beautiful hotel with a view of the Thames and the tower of London. Emmett and I both chose to stay, as did every princess and quite a few still hopeful duchesses. The day after the funeral was a flurry of motion as people said their farewells, arranged their lodging, and moved all about all while avoiding the aggressive London press who were firmly camped at all exits.

The day after the day after funeral, I was once again awoken by an envoy from the Cullens, this time inviting me to a private breakfast with the royal family. When I arrived, instead of our full cohort of princesses it was just myself and Edward.

"Good morning, Principessa." Edward gave me a hesitant, lopsided smile. I couldn't help beaming back, trying to be encouraging. His eyes still looked sad, but they grew more and more vibrant, and more and more green, every day.

"Good morning, Prince Edward."

"Here, have a seat." There were three chairs at the table, and to my surprise he stood and pulled a chair out for me himself. I sat gently, and a moment later he was seated to my left.

"I know that England has been an adjustment for you, and I'm sure that nowhere is as beautiful as the Mediterranean, but have you settled alright? You and your brother chose to remain at Buckingham with my family, which I'm sure we all appreciate." It was the longest sentence I'd heard from him yet.

"I'm slowly learning more about England and finding more and more to like. It was quite generous of your mother to arrange dinner for us that evening at the Tower when you were unable to dine with us, and I'm sure that over the next few months I'll have even more opportunity to learn more about it."

"And your sister is engaged, did you -" whatever he was about to ask was cut off by the arrival of Rosalie. I had not seen her since the funeral, as she'd spent most of her time with Esme, but as Edward escorted her into her seat she surprised me by giving my hand a quick squeeze.

"Eddie, have you been nice to my friend?" I'd never seen Rosalie alone with Edward, but it was immediately clear that she enjoyed antagonizing him like she enjoyed antagonizing most people, as he immediately scowled. His eyes narrowed.

"Oh Rosie, dearest heart, of course I have." He smiled sickly sweet at her, and Rosalie's face tightened.

"Don't be a prick."

"You started this, Rosalie. Can you be nice for five seconds?" Just as things seemed like they were going to heat up between them, breakfast was placed before us and they both turned to look at me. Edward cleared his throat.

"Thank you both for joining me for breakfast." He glanced between the two of us, and then Rosalie shoved his shoulder.

"Edward you know I'm only messing with you. You're too serious, both of you." Edward's face relaxed, and he smiled, turning to me.

"When I was younger, Rosalie and my sister loved to torment me by telling everyone to address me by Prince Eddie. Then Rosalie said it in front of a reporter for one of the gossip rags and I was Prince Eddie until I was nineteen."

"Better than being called a royal bitch." Rosalie rolled her eyes and looked down to her plate, at which point Edward winked at me.

"Rosalie, have you been showing la Principessa the nice parts of England?"

"Well, to be honest I'm not sure if she's quite ready for English nightlife but she's seen the water and the tall buildings, if that's what you mean."

"Rosalie." Edward sighed. She merely shrugged.

"You can call her by her name, by the way. Or Bella, her friends call her Bella. If it was me, I'd be accused of being vain but she's above that criticism."

"When it's true, it's not vanity." Edward smiled at me. To my horror, I could feel myself getting pink at the compliment.

"Would you prefer that I call you Bella? I like La Principessa, you're very regal and it's a rather regal sounding title. But Bella is also, very fitting."

"You may call me whatever you would like." I couldn't help smiling back, even though I knew that my cheeks and most likely my neck were getting pinker and pinker.

"Well then Bella, if I'm to call you by your first name I'd appreciate it if you did the same."

"Of course, Edward." I answered immediately. His name was decidedly English and sounded almost wrong in my accent, but his smile grew even wider when I said it.

Our full breakfasts were placed before us then, and as we ate Rosalie and Edward seemed unable to resist teasing each other. Rosalie commented that Edward ate like a pig although he didn't, then he commented that she ate like a bird, but only if that bird was a goose. Then Rosalie replied that even geese were graceful compared to him, and then they both announced that I was by far the best-mannered one at the table.

Rosalie had an entirely different dynamic with Edward than with anyone I'd seen her with before, even Henri. Excepting the accent, to any outsider it would appear that Rosalie and Edward, not Henri, were siblings. Again, I was struck by the thought that many marriages were built on much less than the openness the two of them seemed to share.

As we ate, the two of them were equally at each other's throats, pulling me into the conversation as a deciding vote. It was possibly the biggest test of my diplomacy I'd ever faced, navigating the conversation between the two of them without stepping on anyone's toes. It helped that Edward was more gracious – Rosalie refused to concede defeat in any capacity.

We finished breakfast all laughing, as Rosalie told a funny story from their childhood in an effort to trump Edward's previous story. As the plates were cleared and the laughter died down, Edward's eyebrows dipped. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and then smiled, hesitant.

"Before you both leave, I must admit I had another reason for inviting you both to breakfast this morning. Bella, Rosalie, do either of you have plans for today?" I shook my head no and Rosalie shrugged, which was most likely accurate. Rosalie maintains her schedule in such a way that she can be both busy and completely free at any given moment.

"Good. Well, I was hoping that you might accompany me to Cornwall this afternoon for a bit of horseback riding at Trematon? We can take a quick flight out at eleven and be back in time for dinner. That is, if you'll come."

Again, both of them glanced to me.

"Of course, thank you for the invitation, Edward." He smiled.

"Rosalie says that you're fond of horses?"

"I love riding. In Italy my sister and I will often go riding with each other, especially on the beach."

"Well, there won't be any beaches like you're used to, I'm afraid. But there are some beautiful views of the ocean if we can ride out to the coast. And I'm sure that you'll find the countryside more beautiful than London; the United Kingdom has a beautiful countryside."

"Oh, of course. I – Scaligero where my family primarily lives is beautifully remote."

"I grew up in Highgrove House and Windsor and both of those are much more removed from London. I like London, but the countryside is more familiar to me too."

"Well, Edward, if we're only to have two hours to get ready we must be going." Rosalie cut in. Edward cleared his throat.

"Yes, of course. Here, allow me." Edward stood, and helped first Rosalie and then myself to stand as well. Immediately someone was at my elbow to escort me to my room, Rosalie accompanying me after waving off her own escort.

"So, what do you think you will wear?" She asked, as though Sophie and Mirene wouldn't be deciding for me.

I was saved by Alice appearing almost out of nowhere.

"Save me!" She whispered, half-dragging me and Rosalie the rest of the way to my room and shutting the doors.

"Jasper is absolutely incessant. Do you know this morning mother insisted that I sit with him and his sisters at breakfast – who were very upset once they realized that the two of you were the only people missing besides Edward."

"Did you like them?"

"Isabella!"

"Alice, you're marrying him. They're about to be your family."

"Exactly! Why is he trying so hard? He has already won –"

"Alice, Prince Edward has asked Isabella to go riding with him." Rosalie cut Alice off, and immediately Alice squealed, grabbing my arm.

"He has?"

"He asked Rosalie and I both. We were talking about how Ines and I go riding."

"Yes, once he found out how much Isabella likes to ride, he was very excited to go out to the English countryside." Alice and Rosalie exchanged a look, both of them staring at me expectantly. I couldn't help squirming under their gaze, unsure what either of them wanted.

"I wish you could come, Alice, since you seem determined to avoid your fiancé." It would be inexcusably rude to invite her, but I did wish she could come. If I was being honest with myself, I also wanted someone to speak to when Edward and Rosalie began their banter again.

"Must you call him that?" Alice sighed, then suddenly brightened.

"While you were gone, Sophie was showing me how to do my own make-up. She says that I have a natural eye for it and that I make bold choices!"

"Well, that makes one of you. Bella is very boring with her makeup when Sophie doesn't -"

"Isabella!" In what seemed to be the theme of my morning, Emmett interrupted by barging into my room, stopping at the sight of Rosalie and Alice.

"Emmett, is something wrong?" The transition from seeing Emmett almost every day in Versailles to only seeing him in passing in London had been interesting. His room was next to mine. But while I was to get to know Edward, Emmett was getting to know every other future King or Queen. Emmett spent his time with Henri, Jasper, and some of the other future regents and spent his days brushing up on his diplomacy, history, and current trade relations. It occurred to me that if Edward had already been spoken for, it would be Emmett and not me that was encouraged to get close to him.

"Rosalie, how are you?" He paused at the sight of her, sending her an easy smile. She smiled back, and then he refocused his attention on me.

"Mother would like to know what you are doing today." He stared me down as he said it, and I heard the unspoken question. Mother had sent him to discover if I was making any progress with Edward and if I was putting in the right effort. I forced myself to smile.

"You can tell Mother that Edward has invited Rosalie and I to go riding with him in the English countryside. We will be leaving in less than two hours."

"The both of you?" Emmett glanced between Rosalie and me, his eyebrows furrowing. The mood in the room seemed to drop as his countenance soured.

"Yes, the two of us, Emmett. You know that he could not invite just one of us, people would talk. I'm sure it'll be a lovely day." Emmett clenched his jaw, nodded, and glanced between the two of us again.

"Both of you, have a nice time." He barely got the words out before turning and leaving as quickly as he came.

"Nice to see to you too, Emmett!" Alice called just before he shut the door, and he didn't so much as pause.

"Alice, I think he is just being overprotective. He's clearly in a bad mood and I hope you won't take it personally." I immediately apologized. Alice shrugged, but the mood in the room was dampened. Alice left soon after to look for her mother, and Rosalie stayed only long enough to hear what Sophie and Mirene wanted to do with my look. Then, I was ushered into the shower to begin getting ready.

Two hours later, Mirene had me dressed in an all-black riding outfit that somehow managed to look sleek and stylish rather than dour. My hair was smoothed back in a neat low ponytail and as I was escorted out, Sophie was still spritzing a setting spray on my face.

I was escorted to meet Rosalie and Edward in the front of the palace, where we stood for pictures before being escorted into a black car. Edward seemed less open than he'd been at breakfast, more reserved with the press. Rosalie was the bright star out of all of us, greeting everyone with a smile and entirely in her element.

"Bella, tell us more about Scaligero." Rosalie asked, as soon as we'd all sat in the car.

The drive to the air field was short, and both Rosalie and Edward kept me speaking – asking questions about Scaligero and about my childhood in Italy. Edward seemed especially fascinated to know that Emmett hadn't attended traditional school until he went to University, as Edward went to the same schools as his father since he was five.

The flight out was almost as short as the drive. It felt like we were barely seated before we landed. Rosalie and Edward got into another minor argument, bantering back and forth about whether England or France had better schools – and Edward livened up again. By the time we got to the stables, everyone was much more comfortable.

As I could have predicted, their stables were absolutely beautiful, and so were their horses. Three horses were already saddled, and as we set out at first Edward played tour guide, pointing out the significance of several older buildings and landmarks. Rosalie seemed bored, but I was captivated with how much he knew about everything around us. But, as we moved out to open land, and Edward grew quieter.

"Bella, do you always ride so well?" Rosalie had hardly spoken, but I knew the silence we'd settled into had to be difficult for her.

"We had amazing instructors when I was younger. I do love riding, so this was a wonderful way to spend a day. Thank you for bringing us out here, Edward."

"I am glad you're enjoying yourself. Both of you. I apologize, I know that I am probably not good company at the moment." As his hands tightened on the reins, I remembered what he'd said earlier in the day.

"It was kind of you to bring us out here, and you owe us no apology. I – I don't want to intrude but I can imagine that it must be difficult, if this is something that you used to do with your sister." I meant it to be an encouragement but Edward pulled his reins hard, coming to a quick stop and forcing Rosalie and I to do the same. Edward stared at me for a moment, then gave me a small smile.

"I like riding but my sister loved it. This is how she met Garrett, actually. I thought that it would be nice to...well, everything here reminds me of her. Not in a bad way but, I loved my sister. It is difficult." Edward cleared his throat, and I pretended not to notice that his eyes were shinier than a moment ago.

"Of course. And that is why you do not owe us an apology. Nobody can truly ask you to hold it in and move on and pretend it doesn't affect you, even if that might be what decorum demands."

"I want to thank you, Principessa, for not – for understanding. Not just me but my mother as well, it is nice that you don't judge and you don't ask us to be more than our grief. It is rare, and we appreciate it. And I know you never truly knew Kate but I think -"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by a scream from Rosalie and then a flash. Her horse reared as a Paparazzi stumbled out of a bush, almost landing on him. Before any of us could even get our composure, he was surrounded by our retainers. Rosalie's retainer Louis snatched his camera while Gian Carlo held him. A third man who I could only assume was Edward's retainer spoke to him a low tone, so quiet that I couldn't hear him from my perch.

"Your Highness, there were certainly others." The man called out, even as Louis pulled out and snapped the memory card on the camera.

I turned back to face Edward, who suddenly seemed like an entirely different man. He sat to the full extent of his height and stared down imposingly at everyone.

"Rosalie, Isabella, are you both alright?" Rosalie did look spooked, though she'd managed to get her horse back under control and avoid falling. She nodded, I nodded, then Edward turned back to the men.

"James, there is no use taking him into custody. What's done is done, the loss of his paycheck will be enough punishment. Please help me see my guests back to the stable and back to London without any more incidents."

James confiscated not only the memory card, but also the camera. We waited for the three of them to saddle back up, and off we went. Nobody bothered with the illusion of privacy any more – the retainers instead rode around us so that anyone still hoping to stick around for more pictures would only get obstructed shots. The conversation died with them.

On the flight back, James pulled Edward aside to discuss something and Rosalie berated me for my lack of posting – insisting that because we were in London did not mean that I could avoid my social media image. She won when she pointed out that if I suddenly stopped posting people would infer that something was wrong in my life.

On the drive back Edward was entirely silent, though Rosalie and I carried a superficial conversation about her plans for our weekend. When we arrived Rosalie stepped out first, and he stopped me with a gentle hand to my forearm.

"Is - Bella I meant what I said earlier. You have been a light for my family and for me during our grief. And though it was cut short, I really appreciated that I could share one of my favorite parts of England with you." Then Gian Carlo's hand was in my face and I was out the car before I could respond. But it meant a lot to me to know that my decorum and my countenance were helping Edward's family through their loss; that I was not a hindrance but a help.


	8. Unpleasant Surprise

**A/N: I'm back! I'm sorry, if I had anticipated that I would be gone for so long, I would've told you all. It was always my goal to finish this story before I started posting, because I knew the beginning of the year would be rough for me. What I didn't expect was to hit a hiatus and stop writing (everything, not just this fic) and then find that my new boss wanted more hours, deal with a personal emergency, etc. etc. I know we all have things, and I'm sorry that in dealing with my things I was gone a ridiculously long time. The good news is - while dealing with those things I finished writing Crowned! So now, there'll be no more delays, a chapter every Saturday. And if I miss a Saturday you can all badger me in comments, because there's no excuse - the writing's already done!**

 _Quick Recap if you need it, since I was gone for 5 months: Our story takes place in a world where European countries are still ruled by monarchs. When Principessa Isabella of Italy's assumed fiance, Baron Jacob Black of Spain, proposed to her younger sister Ines instead, it threw her public image into tailspin. To liven up the story, Isabella was sent associate with Dauphine Rosalie of France where the two formed a publicly wonderful but privately questionable relationship. They were just figuring out their footing when news came that Duchess Katherine, heir to the throne of England, was tragically killed in a plane crash - leaving Duke Edward as his great Aunt the Queen's sole heir with limited time to both find a wife and train to ascend to the throne. Under the guise of paying their respects, every single Princess - including Isabella - is living in Buckingham to determine their eligibility. Isabella has just returned from a day trip she was invited to with Edward and Rosalie._

I don't own these characters, but I do own my plot.

* * *

I was not surprised the next morning when I was left to my own devices to attend the communal breakfast, nor when Jane and Tanya were missing. Emmett pried for details about how things were – insisting of course that it was on Mother's behalf – and when he wasn't speaking Alice jumped in to avoid speaking to Jasper. If anything shocked me, it was that she still insisted on ignoring him.

When Mother asked me to dine with her at her hotel the following morning, and greeted me with several newspapers in hand, I knew it was going to be a long day.

"Isabella, are you truly trying?" The second we were served she fanned out a host of newspapers and magazines. Some featured me, some featured Tanya, but most were covers of Edward and Rosalie, or Edward and Jane. My mother sorted them into piles in front of me, and then stared at me.

"Mother, the tabloids are not a reliable source of information."

"Isabella, I have yet to see you interact with him. The tabloids and your brother are all that I have to go off. And when I see things like this, of course I worry." I glanced at the magazine she pushed forward, and couldn't help a slight wince. Edward had clearly taken Jane and Tanya on a boating trip to get to know them. In the picture, Tanya sat staring into the water but Jane rested next to Edward with her head on his shoulder, gazing up at him.

He had the same posture and manner that I'd observed when he was confronting the paparazzi. He sat tall, and I could see a tension in his shoulders and a stiffness in the way he was carrying himself. I wondered if perhaps James had just told him that they were spotted. But Jane…there was no other word for how she looked but enraptured. Jane stared up at him with wide eyes and a slight smile and looked like he'd hung the moon. I looked to my mother, who nudged another magazine forward at me.

This was a picture of Edward and me. I could tell immediately that it was taken while he was speaking about Kate, because I looked deeply concerned and he looked very uncomfortable. I knew what my mother was getting at, even as she pushed forward another one of the one time during the ride that Rosalie had managed to make Edward laugh. I wanted to argue with my mother, and explain to her how ridiculous it was that she was putting so much stock in the tabloids. But, I knew that this was how she worried.

"Mother, I cannot speak to his relationship with anyone else but I feel that I am trying my best with Edward, and that we are getting to know one another. He has been very kind to me, and so has his family."

Sensing my hesitance to continue the conversation, Mother did eventually steer us to another topic. We spoke about something happening in Italy, and about everything that Nessie was learning in Spain. She told me that Nessie and Jacob had finally convinced my father to move up their wedding and were in the throes of planning a grand wedding in Italy. When I left, she reminded me to remember to make progress with Edward but she otherwise let the subject go.

Alice was the first person who found me when I arrived back at Buckingham, launching into a long story about her breakfast this morning with only Jasper and his parents, as his sisters were both with Edward. Everything she described made him sound kind and hopeful, while Alice perceived it as him being overbearing. When I tried to joke that she was lucky she wasn't marrying an Italian man if Jasper was too much, she practically growled at me.

"Alice, if one day you do not have a happy marriage, you might be looking back to this time and wishing that you had accepted his attempts to befriend you."

"I will cross that bridge when I come to it, because either way I will be married to him. You, on the other hand, are not yet spoken for. Is that what your mother wanted to talk to you about?"

I blew out a long breath, turning to fully face her. I quickly checked that the hallway was clear, and then leaned in and spoke very quietly.

"Because of the tabloids, my mother is convinced that Edward is moments away from proposing to Rosalie or Jane."

To my surprise, Alice burst out laughing. At the look on my face, she calmed a bit but still smiled from ear to ear.

"Rosalie and Edward could never get married, they're practically siblings and one of them would murder the other. And Isabella, Jane is the most desperate woman I have ever met. Can you not tell? All she wants is to be a Queen. She has no interest in Edward, and I would hope he is intelligent enough to realize it."

"Alice, you cannot know that for sure."

"I absolutely can. Come, let's ask Rosalie because I am sure that she will agree with me." Alice about faced and began to set off for Rosalie's room. However we were stopped as we passed palace staff, who informed me that my brother was looking for me.

To my surprise, it seemed that Emmett was having some kind of get together in his suite. Edward, Lucia, and Anika weren't there, but just about everyone else was – including Rosalie speaking to a very animated Tanya. I made my way to Emmett, in time to see Jane approach him. She laid a hand on his bicep and smiled up at him, and I recognized that it was the same tender smile captured in the tabloid. I could also tell, from the vein that popped out as he clenched his jaw, that he was not amused by whatever she was saying.

Alice saved him, excusing Jane perhaps a bit rudely and asking him something about his favorite part of London thus far. As Emmett spoke about a tour he'd gotten of some old English weaponry, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to face a pale blonde.

"Ciao Principessa." I smiled, mentally going through my rolodex to remember who the man was.

"Prince Mikael. Hello, how are you?" I had been to Sweden once, but I did remember Mikael. One year younger than me, he was the type of little boy that liked to chase girls and pull their hair. He had aged well, broad shouldered and very blonde.

"I am well, I am glad you remembered me Principessa." He inclined his head to Emmett, who stared between us with an unreadable expression, then extended a hand.

"Mikael, nice to see you again. How is your elder brother, Erik? It is unfortunate that he could not stay."

"Erik is doing well. He was needed in Sweden with my father. I am surprised that you did not return to Italy with yours."

"And leave Isabella in England by herself? Of course not!" Emmett threw an arm across my shoulder, none-too-gently pulling me closer to him. I glanced at Alice, who was staring between the three of us with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, well, of course." Mikael seemed to deflate a bit.

"Did you need something, Mikael?" Emmett asked. He stared down at Mikael, who was tall but reedy and seemed to wilt a bit under Emmett's stare. Then he turned to me.

"Principessa Isabella, I did wonder if you might, if you would like to accompany me to Sky Garden."

"The Principessa is very busy." Emmett pulled me in a bit closer. I frowned. I was not so naïve as to not know what Emmett was doing, or Mikael. But Emmett was being unreasonably rude in the name of being protective. I slid my hand up and firmly, discreetly pinched his side.

"Prince Mikael, of course I would love to accept your invitation. It is very kind of you, and I have not been to the Sky Garden yet." Emmett did not even react to my pinch, but when I answered he stared down at me for a beat before letting me go. I did not like the smug smile that he wore as he stared between us.

"I hope you both have a lovely time." He nodded to us, and then turned and swiftly departed.

"Isabella, come, let me help you get ready. Prince Mikael, where and when would you like to meet her?"

"You are next door, I believe? I will send for you in an hour. Is that enough time?" Alice's eyes tightened when he said he would send for me, but she was otherwise excited as she whisked me out of the room. It wasn't until we arrived in my room that she said what she needed to say.

"Bella, are you crazy? You're going to go on a date with Mikael? You realize that is what he was asking, for a date."

"Well, Alice, I am not engaged. I am not spoken for. He did not offend me. I cannot just turn him down point blank."

"You cannot possibly be attracted to him."

"Not particularly, but that does not mean he doesn't deserve my respect."

"You could respectfully say no. Yes, Emmett overreacted but you did not need to practically offer him your hand with the ring already on it."

"Alice – I am accompanying him to a garden, not to a church hall."

"And I thought that I was accompanying my father on a diplomatic mission until I was engaged."

"If Mikael can convince my mother and father that it would make sense for us to be married, just like you there is really nothing that I could do about it, Alice."

"But you care for Edward, more than you do for Mikael." I stared at her. I had not realized that my growing regard for Edward was becoming obvious. I sighed.

"You are not wrong, Alice. But as I've said before, my feelings hardly matter. I could not be so rude as to say no to Mikael for no reason and risk offense where there did not need to be offense. And if you are truly worried, you can at least be comforted that so long as Edward is unmarried my mother would never entertain a proposal from Mikael. If I truly detest him after this outing, then I can simply inform him that while I had a nice time I do not believe I am available to go out with him again."

"Principessa, please excuse my interruption but we must begin to get you ready." I turned to where Mirene and Sophie were patiently waiting, and then to Alice.

"Oh go ahead, get ready. I'm not going to get through to you. Can you at least admit that you don't want to go, Bella?"

"No, Alice, you're right. I don't want to go." Alice patted my hand, and then stepped out of the way for Mirene and Sophie.

Over an hour later, Gian Carlo was escorting me out of a car as Mikael stared at the line into the building. He said something in rapid Swedish to his retainer, who quickly took off for the door. Before I knew it, someone was coming out and escorting us past the line of people into the building.

"That's Principessa Isabella!" "Is the Principessa on a date?" "Is that…that's one of the Princes in the North…" Mikael was not bothering with subtlety as we marched past the rows of guests and tourists. To my chagrin, he slipped an arm around my waist as we walked, and with so many people we both knew that it would be unimaginably rude for me to step away.

The actual garden was beautiful. Rather than emptying it out, Gian Carlo and Mikael's retainer kept everyone else present at a wide berth around us. People took pictures from a several feet away but we were able to ignore them. Mikael was not as interested in the greenery as I was, but he dutifully stopped every time I wanted to read a placard, or ask our dedicated tour guide a question.

Halfway through our visit I noticed the more aggressive flashes, and looked up across the room into the face of a paparazzi camera. The shock caused me to stumble, at which point Mikael caught me with an arm around my waist that he did not remove until we were both in the cars. I was able to get out of lunch with him in the building on the basis that the Paparazzi were beginning to push boundaries – which they were – and I was able to dodge his attempt to kiss me in the back of the vehicle by looking out of the window and regaling him with every fact that I remembered about England.

I had not had a magnificent time, and I was sure that he hadn't either, and yet when we arrived back he insisted on escorting me back to my room, kissed my hand, and told me that he was looking forward to doing it again.

Unable to stomach more gossip, and very hungry, I spent the rest of my afternoon in my own room reading an English book that someone had brought me from one of their libraries. That evening, Emmett requested my presence for dinner, which meant that he was irritated with me. I went to his room, and over dinner he asked me a million questions about what we had done, especially annoyed when I told him that Mikael had tried to kiss me.

"Isabella, you cannot be too nice to a man like Mikael, he will not interpret you correctly."

"Emmett, I'm capable of holding my own and Gian Carlo never let me out of his sight. Besides, I will not go again. He will get over it. There are a million duchesses fluttering around that would love to be fourth-in-line to the throne of Sweden, if Mikael is looking for a wife. And if he is not…unfortunately there are a million duchesses around regardless."

"Bella…I wonder sometimes if you really understand the power of your reputation, especially post Paris. Mikael did not seek you out only for a wife, he sought out Principessa Isabella, specifically. You are written about more than me in the papers these days."

I couldn't help my grimace as I shrugged him off, and Emmett laughed at me and changed the topic. It was less funny the next morning, as mother woke me up by literally shaking me. I opened my eyes to an apologetic looking maid next to mother waving a magazine in my face. On its cover I was leaning into Mikael who had an arm around me, and you could not see my face but he was beaming.

"You are playing with fire, Isabella." Were the first words my mother spoke to me. She sat down at the edge of my bed, and smoothed my hair away from my face.

"I do not know if you were trying to make Edward jealous, or did not realize that there are consequences to who you spend your time with. But Isabella, you cannot attract a Prince if he believes that you are in love with someone else."

"Mother, I have met Mikael twice in my life. Yes, his demeanor towards me was inappropriate but I was hardly going to make a scene and detach myself in public."

"Isabella, do not worry about making a scene, worry about keeping your focus on the most important match you can make. Bella, I know that you understand what it would mean for Italy to be aligned with a power like England. We gain nothing if you marry Mikael, and you gain nothing. He is the fourth child and the second son, he will never sit on the throne. When you have people printing that you and he are secret sweethearts, it gives the impression that you are not an option for Prince Edward."

"I am aware, of why you would like me to marry Prince Edward." Groggy and just a bit irritated, I forced myself not to respond coolly to my mother.

"Bella please don't tell me that you have fallen for this Swedish prince."

"No! Of course not! Mother – I accepted an invitation to be polite, which is the decorum that you taught me! I was not going to alienate him if I didn't have to, and I will continue to avoid doing so without going out with him again."

"All of the decorum in the world won't make you a Queen, Isabella. But, I appreciate that you were only trying to avoid an incident. And remember, in the future you can –"

" – frame it as though I am doing him a favor by saying no. Yes, of course I know. I remember. May I get out of bed?"

My mother smoothed my hair back once again, and then stood.

"Mirene and Sophie are coming for you. I really must commend la Dauphine, this is truly the way to live. I might have to bring a full time style team back with me to Italy, although your father will hate it." With that as a goodbye, she leaned down and kissed me, and then strode out.

Once again, we were back to our normal breakfast schedule of eating all together, the six Princesses seated with Edward and his parents. Edward was back to being quiet, and his parents asked us about our escapades. Esme tactfully asked me as well if I'd enjoyed the Sky Garden, avoiding all mention of why I was there or who I was there with. I described my favorite flora and avoided all mention of anything else, and we transitioned seamlessly into other conversation topics.

As I left breakfast, I was genuinely surprised to be once again approached by Mikael, and his retainer. He stepped closer to say something, and Emmett seemed to appear out of nowhere at my side.

"Isabella, yesterday was lovely. Would you like to accompany me to another garden?" I paused to wonder why Mikael would invite me to gardens when he clearly did not seem to enjoy them, and Emmett jumped in to answer before I could.

"Principessa Isabella and I are so busy for the day, I'm afraid Mikael." Emmett's comment left no room for discussion from either of us, and he placed an aggressive emphasis on my title that once again left Mikael wilted. He nodded, glanced at me, and then turned and walked away with strong footsteps and stiff shoulders.

"You are welcome." Emmett winked at me, and then escorted us to Rosalie's room where another small delegation of royals were assembled.

Later in the day I found myself wandering the palace alone, as Rosalie's attempts to mobilize a host of royals to go out in London nightlife were beginning to land. I was about to step around the corner when I heard my name. I am not proud of it, but rather than announce my presence I allowed my curiosity to win and I stuck my head around the corner to see Mikael's retainer speaking to another man, whom I did not recognize.

" – was not hurt. I think he is frustrated. It is true what they say about her, ja?"

"What do they say?"

"Oh, that she is boring. I would not expect it from Italy. But if Mikael thought he was going to get some excitement from the Italian Principessa, he was disappointed. He believes she is shy, but I believe that she is exactly as dull as the magazines say, and he would be better off with a Swedish –"

I turned, not wanting to overhear any more. I knew Gian Carlo had to have heard, as close as he was, but he stepped back and waited to see what I would do. Remembering an old admonition I'd heard about the fate of eavesdroppers I straightened my spine, fixed my frown into a smile, rolled my shoulders back, and walked away.

* * *

 **A/N: I know I was vague up above, but I seriously want to thank every single person who commented and reached out during the hiatus. Sometimes posting on FFN can feel like an inconsequential part of my life - most people in my day-to-day life don't know that I write or don't really get it - but knowing that people on here get it and believe in me and actually want to read what I write means a lot to me. It's what drove me to finish Crowned, it's what drives me to keep writing, and it's why I'll never leave a story unfinished even if I take some time away. I've missed you guys and this story, and I'm glad to be back.**


	9. Out on the Town

**A/N: Hi Everyone! Lots and lots of responses to Mikael! Thank you all so much for the well wishes. I'm so excited to get everyone's responses to this chapter.**

 **I don't own these characters but this plot is all mine ;)**

* * *

"Isabella, you are not boring." Of all of the people that I expected to tell me that, Rosalie would have been at the bottom of my list. I hadn't meant to include Rosalie in the conversation at all, except that as the two became friends, wherever Rosalie was there also was Alice. Alice was still insistently avoiding Jasper at every turn, and it seemed that through proximity Rosalie and I had somehow stumbled our way into being friends too.

"I am not exciting." I shrugged. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"You are careful, and you are well-behaved. You do the right thing. I will admit, it's not always exciting. But, boring people lack passion – you don't lack passion. You are just not easily provoked."

"I'm not shocked that his retainer found me boring. I do not think that walking through the gardens or hearing the history of London was all Mikael imagined we would be doing. But he was very familiar and I already told you, I did not want to kiss him."

"You're obviously not the type. When's the last time you kissed some random man?" Rosalie was staring, one eyebrow raised.

"Never." Alice and I spoke at the same time, and before Rosalie could comment Alice held up a hand.

"Of course not – she spent her whole life thinking she was going to marry Jacob. You know she wouldn't kiss someone else."

Rosalie paused, staring between the two of us with an open mouth. Finally, she took a deep breath and placed a hand on her heart.

"Mon dieu, Isabella please tell me that you at least kissed him?"

"A long time ago, yes, but not in years."

Rosalie frowned.

"Well, you know you will have to kiss another man, probably before you marry him." I could tell Rosalie was using restraint, and for her it was practically gentle.

"Of course, but that man is not Mikael." I shrugged. "Oh, definitely not." Rosalie agreed with a laugh.

The conversation moved on to Rosalie's continued efforts to convince Edward to come out with us. Unlike Emmett, Rosalie, Kate, and several of the other more prominent royals, Edward was also not known to go out to nightclubs or bars for entertainment. Rosalie had roped Emmett in to her attempt to – as she put it – get Edward out and about so that he could heal.

Personally, it still irritated me on his behalf that everyone was pushing him to move on from something that clearly had a deep effect on the entire royal family. But he did need to find a wife, and as of yet he hadn't engaged with us one on one. His biggest preoccupation had shifted to the formal training that he was undergoing to make up for the years of lessons Kate had been given. We all saw him at every meal, but otherwise he was hard to get a hold of. Rosalie's view, which I knew she'd managed to convince several people of, was that if he was too busy to spend time with us during the day he should make better use of his evenings.

Rosalie's one-sided argument was interrupted by Vera letting herself in and reminding Rosalie that she'd agreed to speak with Henri before lunch. Alice and I left Rosalie's room to prepare for lunch ourselves. On my way into my room, I was stopped at my door by Emmett.

"Does Mother know that she can speak to me directly?" I asked him, sure that he was bearing yet another message about how I wasn't putting in enough effort to get Edward alone. Mother had learned when I was younger that it was easier to get me to do things her way if she got Emmett involved, and he'd apparently been equally unsuccessful in convincing her that I was doing everything I could.

"Where are you coming from?" Emmett asked, following me into my room and shutting the door.

"Rosalie's room." Emmett stared at me a minute, but when I didn't answer his unasked question he frowned. Sometimes, Emmett forgets that we both took the same lessons in diplomacy and negotiation.

"You are spending a lot of time with Rosalie in England. I would have thought that the two of you would have nothing to do with each other."

"Rosalie and I have come to an understanding."

"So, you tolerate each other."

"We're...I don't suppose Rosalie would say this, but I consider her a friend. She is a surprisingly good one even if she has a deep need to be telling everyone around her what to do."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"There was a time I thought the two of you could never get along. She was not, she did not need to be so mean to you when we first arrived in France. You were out of your element, and I don't think she made it any easier on you."

"Emmett, Rosalie is not inclined to make anything easy on anyone. She did not need to be cruel. But we understand each other now. Sometimes, I think Rosalie's cruelty can be a way of, Rosalie very much enjoys being in control. It is a shame, about France. Being a Queen would suit her."

"Because she is cruel and controlling?"

"Because it would give her something productive to do with that energy." Emmett paused, staring at me.

"She told me, that the two of you were friends. But I didn't believe – I'm surprised that you just forgave her, like that."

"You spoke to Rosalie about me?"

"She told me that I underestimate you."

"I didn't forgive Rosalie, Emmett. I learned to understand her, and she learned to understand me. Now, we are friends. And now, if you don't get out of here we will both be late to lunch."

Emmett pulled me into a surprise hug, the smile on his face not quite matching the intensity I saw behind his eyes.

"I didn't know Rosalie very well in France and I couldn't help disliking her and her treatment of you. But here, in England, I see some of what you've said. She would make a good Queen."

"You think she'll marry Edward?" I asked, ignoring the way my stomach turned when I asked the question.

"No, Bella, I don't." Emmett laughed out loud, and the strange urgency of the moment was broken. He leaned down, kissed me on the forehead, and strolled out the door.

At lunch, Edward was once again quieter than usual. He'd been growing more open, sharing more with us all over meals and continuing to ask questions. But that day he seemed content to sit and listen. Rather than sitting separately with only the princesses, he'd taken to inviting everyone to dine with him. Emmett was telling a loud story about something that had happened in France when Rosalie and Edward exchanged a long look. Then Edward sighed.

"If we were able to reserve a private room at one of the nicer nightclubs in London this evening, would you all do me the honor of being my guest?"

The table went silent for a half second, then everyone almost tripped over themselves to respond in the affirmative.

"Yes!" "Of course!" "So exciting!" "Which one?" "Absolutely!" "Ja!"

"Bella?" Edward looked to me with a small smile.

"Oh, of course!" It wasn't as though I could say no. But he had a small spark of excitement in his eyes and I found myself getting a bit excited. In truth, it had been so long since I'd been out that I was almost looking forward to it. I could never go as much as Rosalie seemed to be fond of but there were times that I'd had a great time with the Clique.

Sophie and Mirene had a ball getting Alice and I ready that evening. For Alice, they did a dark look with all black clothing and a bright red lip. For me they did a bright red dress with no sleeves that made me uncomfortable but Alice insisted that I wasn't allowed to change.

In total our group was Emmett, me, Rosalie, Henri, Vera, Mikael, Jane, Jasper, Anika, Lucia, Tanya, and a few of Edward's friends in England that I hadn't had the chance to meet. We left in 3 cars, and I ended up between Edward and Rosalie.

"You look absolutely beautiful." As soon as our car began moving, Rosalie and Emmett began a loud conversation about everything they'd heard about our chosen venue. Edward wasn't paying any attention, staring down at me with a smile.

"Thank you." I couldn't help smiling back.

"Rosalie told me that this is not necessarily your favorite thing to do, but I'm glad you agreed to come."

"Of course. Thank you for inviting me. All of us."

"I know that I have not been as accessible, but I really am looking forward to spending time with you. With all of you."

"Edward – how did you choose where we're going tonight?" Jane sat across from us, and slid forward in her seat to close the space between us all.

"A mate from school owns it, and his security is top notch. He does private rooms, not just VIP, so it's safer."

"That's so caring of you, to make sure we're all safe. Have you been there before?" For the rest of the short drive, Jane kept the conversation flowing. As we arrived and got out, she slid out after Edward and me and stood with us still asking Edward if nightlife in England was anything like Ios.

Of course, we stepped out to cameras. It was unavoidable. Many people stopped, but Jane and I followed Edward right inside past the line.

We met Edward's friend, who was excited to lead us through a side door and up some stairs to the private room. It was a side room upstairs, with a view down to the dance area. Immediately Edward pulled out a chair for both of us at a table near the ledge looking down, and we took a seat.

"Edward, do you dance?" Jane laid a hand on his arm ask she asked, and I watched as he gently adjusted his arm away from her grip, but turned to face her.

"Sometimes. Why Jane, are you eager to get out to the dance floor? I believe Rosalie and the others might have beaten you there."

We all looked down to see Rosalie dancing with Vera and Tanya, while Jasper's sisters stood with him and looked on. I looked up at a tap of my shoulder, to see Alice standing next to me – also watching.

"Isabella, Edward, come down and dance. We didn't come here to sit in this room and watch."

Jane coughed politely, but if Alice heard her she didn't react at all – pulling my arm until I stood. I followed Alice, and Edward and Jane both trailed behind us, until we all landed on the dance floor. Faster than I would have thought possible, Rosalie appeared with a drink for me and for Edward, and Tanya brought one to Jane and Alice.

There was something different about the atmosphere of that night that made me feel much more comfortable. When Rosalie pulled me to dance with her I couldn't help but oblige. When she passed me a second drink I drank that too, and I relaxed.

"You don't seem uncomfortable." After the second drink Edward approached, taking my hand to twirl me around, and then leaning in to comment. He looked genuinely curious, and as he stared down at me, head tilted, I couldn't help smiling up at him.

"If you asked Rosalie she'd tell you that I hate going out but that's not true. I'm not – I don't love it the way that she does but there is something relaxing every once in a while, about getting out and – you say blowing off steam, yes?"

"Yes, that's right. I sometimes forget you all don't speak native English. I only speak English, French, Gaelic, and some German – but my French and German are hardly conversational. You all speak English as though you've spoken it your whole lives."

"I have. There is so much business and so much tourism from America, from England, from Australia. Then I don't speak much Portuguese though I should probably improve, and Alice doesn't speak Italian and doesn't like speaking Spanish, so most of our friendship has been in English."

"What languages do you speak, comfortably?"

"Italian, French, Spanish, and English, comfortably. Greek enough for a conversation, German enough to be polite. My mother wanted us to learn Hungarian and Croatian and Slovenian but if I'm being honest I haven't kept up with the languages, and the few times I've been to Slovenia or Croatia everyone has spoken Italian."

"Do your siblings speak so many languages as well, then? Kate was the diplomat in our family, and she had a skill for language, which I seem to not have inherited. I'll admit, I'm a bit upset with myself to not be able to speak with you in Italian."

"Emmett speaks more than I do, which always surprises people. But Nessie, Ines, her best languages are Italian, Greek, and Spanish. You would probably laugh if you heard her English. Nessie is an artist anyways, she communicates much more vividly in pictures than in words."

"You have a lot of care for your siblings."

"We are family. We all care for each other. Are you, I know that you were close to your sister. Are you surprised, that we are close?" Before I could worry about offending him, Edward laid a hand on my arm. Without me even realizing it we were dancing, an awkward swaying that didn't match the loud music at all but was very comfortable.

"Not that you're close. There is something about growing up this way that is isolating, and it makes sense that you end up close to the only other people around your age who might understand. But you, you aren't just close to them. You know them. I don't think I understood Kate the same way that you seem to understand the people around you. Even Rosalie."

"I only pay attention." I smiled, politely side-stepping the compliment. Edward shook his head and laughed.

"You are easily the most gracious person I've ever met. You never take a compliment." I wasn't sure how to respond, but Edward distracted me by holding out his hand. I took it hesitantly and he twirled me in a circle and dipped me.

"You dance?" Edward was beaming, as he pulled me back up. I decided he didn't need to know how naturally graceless I was, and how much longer it had taken me than Ines to learn the basics of ballroom for events my mother threw for charity.

"Mostly Latin, my mother is a ballroom aficionado so all of us know."

"Can you waltz?"

"Here?"

"No, I suppose not. Another time, if you can?"

"I can."

"This isn't a waltz, but it's almost a cha cha. Wouldn't that be something, to cha cha in the midst of all of these people."

"We hardly have the room, it would be pretty incredible if we managed it."

"You're right. Something closer or more intimate, then. A rumba?" Unexpectedly I imagined being that close to Edward for something so intimate, and I felt my face get warmer. I hoped it was dark enough, or that I was wearing enough foundation, that he wouldn't be able to see my flush – especially since I was sure he hadn't meant it in that way.

"You don't think a rumba would fit?"

"It certainly fits the music." Edward held out a hand, and I realized that he was serious. I tentatively grasped his hand and he gently tugged me closer. Rather than holding me in frame he grasped one of my hands and slid his other hand around my back, holding us closer than was strictly necessary. Before I could think about it we were moving in a very close rumba.

I tried to let my mind wander but Edward's presence was insistent, and I felt almost trapped in the moment with him. He never crossed a line, or did anything inappropriate, but I was almost uncomfortably aware of how close together our bodies were – if I didn't keep time or if he moved too insistently we'd be pressed flush against each other in a way that the Clique frequently danced with men but I avoided at all costs.

Thankfully, the song changed. Edward stopped moving, but instead of letting me go he held me there, looking down at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I'll be back." I didn't mean to be abrupt, but it suddenly dawned on me that I was dancing alone with Edward. My friends, the other Princesses, my brother, his friends, nobody was around us. As I stepped back, I could see Jane and Tanya by the bar speaking with Mikael and a few others I didn't recognize. Alice seemed to have been trapped by Jasper and his sisters, the three of whom were standing around her and enthusiastically speaking with her. I didn't see anyone else.

I smiled politely as I walked away, heading back for the private room. Across the floor I could see Gian Carlo note my movement, but he relaxed when he saw I wasn't heading towards the exit. As I approached, I thought that once I entered I could sit for a bit, regroup, and try to make sense of what had happened.

I climbed swiftly up the stairs, took a breath at the top, and composed myself as I eased open the door, in case there was anyone in the room. My deep breath was not enough to prepare me for the sight of Emmett sitting in a low chair, kissing a blonde seated on his lap. Not just a blonde – my brain was quick to inform me – the blonde. Rosalie.

A few things clicked into place for me, not the least of which was Emmett's sudden interest in mine and Rosalie's relationship. I turned to give them privacy, as they clearly hadn't heard me enter, and almost walked right into Edward's chest. Behind him James stood on the steps, eyes averted. I quickly pushed Edward back, shutting the door behind me. Stood at the top of the stairs, we stared at each other for a minute until we were both distracted by the sound of James turning and hustling back down the stairs.

"Bella, I -"

"Edward, I, I know that you and Rosalie are close but I – I think it would be best if we both just forgot what we just witnessed. They've both been drinking and I'm sure they would appreciate our mutual discretion."

"You don't want rumors spreading about your brother?" It took me a second to realize that he was teasing me, then he smiled at my confusion.

"I don't want rumors spreading about either of them, and I don't - I wouldn't want your opinion of Rosalie to change either." His eyebrows show up.

"You care about my opinion of Rosalie? She's my friend." He placed a subtle but clear emphasis on the word friend, then laid a hand on my shoulder.

"My opinion of Rosalie is unchangeable, she is almost as much my sister as Kate. My opinion of your brother is that he is a good man, and frankly he stands up to Rosalie in a way that most men wouldn't dare. The only person in this equation for whom my opinion keeps changing, is you Isabella. You might honestly be too good of a person to be royal." Before I could react Edward leaned down and gently kissed my forehead, then my cheek when I didn't move. Then he stood, smiled at me, and gestured for me to lead us down the stairs.

By the time we made it back to the dance floor we'd been found – Alice coming up to me and practically dragging me to the restroom to get away from Jasper and the twins and Jane and Tanya asking Edward a million questions. I could only half listen to Alice's latest complaints about Jasper, my mind focused on what Edward had said. The more I turned it over, the more worried I became. Edward was looking for a Queen, and with what he said it seemed that he couldn't see me in that role, at all.


	10. Day is Done

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I was gone all day yesterday. Here's the next chapter!**

 **I don't own these characters, but I do own this plot.**

* * *

To my surprise, going out became a weekly occurrence. Over the next three weeks we went on several more outings. Rosalie and Emmett avoided detection, staying under the radar, and if they had any more secret embraces nobody seemed to know. If the way that Jane still persisted in flirting with Emmett when Edward wasn't around was any indication, nobody even seemed to suspect.

Edward continued to be persistently kind. He still avoided speaking to us all for most of his days – studying whatever it was he was being asked to study in order to prepare to be King. But more often than not I sat between him and Esme at dinner, and he'd ask me questions about my days and what I was learning about London. As they processed their grief, I was learning a bit more about the royal family.

Lord Carlisle, who I'd initially perceived as stern, was actually quite brilliant. He jokingly called himself an "Englishman through and through" but he had traveled quite extensively and loved to speak about everything he'd seen. I also learned that he was a physician. He'd had to let his license expire when Elizabeth named Kate her successor, but before that he'd worked both as a military doctor with the English troops and as a volunteer for Doctors Without Borders.

By contrast Esme was much gentler and warmer than I'd imagined. I understood how Rosalie could cling so closely to her, Esme had something that made you want to be around her. It didn't hurt that she was absolutely stunning – especially for her age. She had a gentleness about her that was so maternal and alluring, it almost felt as though she was everyone's mother.

When we went out, Edward continued to find opportunities to ask me to partner dance with him. While everyone else gyrated and shimmied, Edward samba'd, salsa'd, and even taught me how to do a Brazilian dance called the Zouk that involved me getting closer to a man than I'd ever been in my life. It was very old-fashioned of him in a way that was very endearing. We spoke as we danced – sometimes about English politics, sometimes about Italy. When my mother told me that Father had relented and Jacob and Ines were getting married, he was the fourth person I told after Alice, Rosalie, and Angela.

Emmett, Alice, and even Rosalie asked me about Edward, and I told them that he was becoming a good friend. Alice pointed out that he didn't dance as closely with anyone else, to which I replied that both Tanya and Jane were all over him whenever I wasn't dancing with him. Rosalie told me that I made Edward comfortable, which made sense to me in that I wasn't as overtly sexual or in-your-face as the twins, Jane, or Tanya. I'd seen Emmett and Edward chatting from time to time, but whenever I asked Emmett about it he only told me it was diplomatic business.

Of course, I knew that I was beginning to like Edward. I'd let no man touch me the way he had, and no man had ever taken such a deep interest in me or my life. As the life came back into his eyes he was absolutely beautiful to look at, with green eyes and a wide smile and a strong, aristocratic jawline. He was more soft-spoken than you would expect from looking at him, but at the same time very opinionated. The one time I spoke about him with Angela, she teased me that he was nothing like Jacob, and I realized it was true. And yet, I also knew that he had never pushed a boundary with me that I hadn't experienced before. I'd danced with Jacob, spoken with Jacob, done so many things with him and nobody else because I assumed that we were going to get married. I didn't want to jump from assumption to assumption, especially not with Edward who – I could admit – had a real power to hurt me with his rejection.

Then, one morning I woke up to an announcement that the Royal Family thanked all of their guests for their kindness in joining them during their mourning, but their formal mourning period was now coming to a close – inviting us to join them for one last dinner. The next immediate announcement was from my mother, who told me to do everything in my power to remain in England. It hadn't occurred to me that it was a position I had to earn, and suddenly I wondered if Edward or his family would ask me to stay. Jane made sure to be photographed with Edward entering and leaving every club we'd been to, and I knew that they had conversations without the rest of us as she managed to capture him one on one whenever she could. My Mother was convinced that Jane was putting in the right effort to capture his interest, and that I was not.

After a long day with Mother and Emmett, who had already secured their flight back to Italy and expected me not to be on it, Mirene and Sophie got me dressed for dinner. This time there was no Alice, who had convinced her father to help her hire her own style team. We went overtly bold for dinner – my hair slicked back, my eyes dark, my lips a dark red they'd never put on me before. I was wearing a knee-length blue dress that would have bordered on demure and sweet without the sophisticated makeup, but instead almost looked sexy. I looked like my mother when she was younger, I realized, when she was the bold woman my father had once loved.

At dinner I was seated between Edward and Esme. Edward stared when I walked up, and even I was not so inexperienced as to doubt that he liked what he saw. It was thrilling, the way he looked at me as I walked up to my seat, his full attention on me. Even when I was helped into my seat he sighed, before smiling gently at me.

"You are absolutely stunning, Principessa." He breathed. To his right was Jane, who looked extra petite and feminine in a form-fitting, soft peach dress. She leaned forward, laying a hand on his arm.

"Blue is truly your color, Isabella." She complimented me, before asking Edward a question about his childhood and pulling him into a conversation.

"You really are stunning, Your Highness." Esme had a twinkle in her eye as she addressed me by the honorific.

"Thank you, I appreciate that."

"Edward has told us so much about you, but I feel like you're so quiet at dinner. I hope we haven't made you uncomfortable?"

"Oh no, absolutely not! You've all been so hospitable, and kind. England is absolutely incredible and I'm having an amazing time getting to explore London. I love coming to dinner, but I am sure it must be so overwhelming for your family to be answering questions and having your attention pulled in multiple directions constantly. I wouldn't want to contribute to that." Esme paused, staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Isabella that is so...so kind of you and so not your responsibility. You are a guest in our home, it is not your job to make us more comfortable."

I had no idea what to say to that, except to smile.

"Bella is very giving that way." I hadn't even realized that Edward and Jane finished speaking, until Edward spoke up, leaning closer to me to look at his mother.

"Which reminds me, Bella. I know that Italy must be missing their princess, but would you consider staying in England a while longer? If I may, I find that I'm not done getting to know you." I glanced up and Edward was smiling down at me. My breath caught in my throat, even as I smiled back.

"Of course, thank you Edward." My voice came out lighter and softer than I meant it to, and Edward smiled wider.

"Thank you. Now, I know it might be difficult to stay here without any family nearby so if there is anyone you would like to invite to stay with you, be my guest. Jane was just telling me about..."

For the rest of dinner, Edward refused to let Jane edge me out of the conversation, inviting me to speak and showing a genuine interest in what I was saying. After dinner Mother was excited to know that I was staying in England, but to my surprise insisted that Emmett was needed back in Italy. Then, Alice cornered me and begged me to let her be my guest to stay in England, as her mother was insisting that she go to Germany with Jasper and his family rather than going home. So, I bid farewell to Emmett and my mother, and Alice moved into the rooms next to mine.

The next morning, we had the first truly relaxed breakfast we'd had since we arrived. I was served a bowl of yoghurt and granola, and then Alice and I saw our families off. To Alice's chagrin and her mother's delight, Jasper had been invited to stay as well. His sisters were not, and though they were gracious as they bid Alice goodbye I could tell they were affronted. It was clear that neither of them was being considered to be Edward's bride and I knew that couldn't be a good feeling for either of them. I couldn't see a man of Edward's temperament with a woman so much younger than him, but they evidently hadn't seen it that way.

Despite Mother's claims that he was needed in Italy, Emmett had decided to go back to France with Henri, Vera, and Rosalie. To an outsider it would not have been obvious that Emmett and Rosalie were romantically entangled. She practically fell on Edward as she wished him goodbye, kissed Esme and Carlisle farewell, and hardly spoke to Henri let alone Emmett. And yet, there was something in the way they orbited each other that carried a weight – he was always just a step away from her, even when they were in two very separate conversations.

Mother wished me goodbye by reminding me that she'd promised me my Great-Grandmother's diadem as a wedding gift when I was six and that since it belonged to a Queen it would be better that it stayed with a Queen. She also spoke to Mirene and Sophie, who at that point were officially under my employ and no longer employed by Rosalie, and told them to make me unforgettable.

After the hustle and bustle of the last few people leaving, we were left with our final group. Alice and I, Jasper and Edward, Tanya and Jane. Suddenly, Edward's social schedule was completely clear.

On Monday, Edward, Tanya, and Jane went to a charity event for a school in Southern England. On Tuesday, Alice, Jasper, and I accompanied the entire royal family, including Elizabeth, to a tennis tournament.

I didn't mean to leave Alice to her own devices, but Edward seemed to fully come alive at the match. He told me details about all of the players, explained the mechanics of the court, and told me hilarious stories about when he was younger and tennis was his favorite sport. He couldn't cheer on his favorites as it would be a poor show of decorum, so instead every time something happened to one of his favorites he'd tense his muscles in excitement, pressing his thigh in to mine. When his favorite player came from behind to win his match, Edward slid an arm behind my back and hugged me in excitement. Behind us, Elizabeth cleared her throat and he immediately let me go, but hours later I could still feel the warmth of his arm around my body.

On Wednesday, it was Jane and Tanya's turn to attend the women's match. The women came back in high spirits, but the Cullens quickly dissipated. Later I ran into Emse in the hall, who surprised me by pulling me into a hug and thanking me for being "your lovely, genuine self."

On Thursday nobody was invited to anything, and I decided to do some exploring. I'd been brought a book or two from a library, but I was determined to find the library. When I did, however, I also found Edward sitting in a low chair by the window.

"Oh! I am so sorry." It hadn't occurred to me that I might walk into an occupied room. I knew that we were all in a guest wing, and I had no idea where the royal family stayed. I wondered if I'd run into Edward's quarters. When Edward stared at me but didn't speak I turned to leave, and I could hear him step up.

"No, wait. Please, come in, Isabella." I turned slowly and walked back in. Edward stood, and gestured to the armchair next to his.

"What brings you by?" "I hope I'm not intruding." We spoke at the same time and I could feel my face growing warmer. Edward smiled at me, unspeaking, waiting for me to answer him.

"I was looking for a library. But I did not mean to intrude on your space."

"You're not, at all." He smiled, again gesturing to the chair.

"Or, are you looking for something in particular to read?" I shrugged.

"Nothing in particular. I speak English better than I read it, but I've read the classics. Is there anything you would recommend?"

"Yes, but it's not in this library, which is a shame. I'll have to get you a copy. Other than the classics, what do you like to read?"

"I like reading old Italian plays and operas, which I know sounds dull. But they are very full of life, very passionate. It is a cliché but I love Don Giovanni, love re-reading it and seeing it live."

"I remember that score from when I was studying Mozart's compositions."

"You studied music?"

"I have a degree in piano and classical music studies, yes." Edward's eyes twinkled, as he smiled.

"You told us that your degree was in Political Theory and History."

"My first degree was, but I started University when I was seventeen and finished that degree at twenty. Then I studied music."

"Do you play still?"

"For myself, sometimes. Before, well, earlier this year we'd spoken of me doing a benefit concert. Now it's very unlikely that will happen. Why, do you play?"

"Oh no, absolutely not. My Mother put all of us in voice lessons and I was the worst, and we never spent much time with instruments. But I adore listening to the classics and I love the piano. I wish I could play it."

"I could probably teach you, at least the basics."

"Oh, thank you, but I wouldn't expect you to do that Edward."

"Of course I would. We don't have to start right now, though. I'm sure you didn't come in here to play the piano."

"Is there a piano in this library?"

"There are pianos all around. Here, let me help you find a book." Edward stood suddenly, and I stood back up and followed him. Edward showed me around the library, taking care to explain how it was organized so that I could find what I was looking for. We kept getting sidetracked, as Edward would mention one story that led to another, or he'd remind me of something or ask about my time in Italy. By the time we'd passed an hour I was no closer to finding a book but I'd learned even more about Edward's love for music. Mozart was his favorite, but he loved Bach and had composed music while he was in school that he'd never played for anyone. He'd asked several questions about Italy as well, and I ended up going on for much too long about Scaligero and some of our other homes, and how Italian press were much kinder than English press.

Edward ended up having to leave, and I knew that Alice would be looking for me sooner or later, but we both left smiling and laughing. I thought that would be the last time, but the next morning I found myself wandering to the library a few hours after breakfast, and there Edward was again. This time as soon as I sat down he handed me a novel written in Italian.

"A translation, of one of my favorite novels." It was an older-looking novel I'd never heard of, and I wondered how he could possibly have a copy in Italian. But before I could ask, Edward asked me a question about music, and we launched back into conversation. This time it got political, and I wasn't too surprised to learn that we had very similar views. On Edward's insistence I took the book with me when we parted.

Later, Alice hid in my room from fear of being found by Jasper, who apparently was greeting her every morning before breakfast and doing his best to keep her company until dinner. It explained why she hadn't questioned my absence during the day. As she spoke, I started reading the book Edward gave me, and I was immediately hooked. I could tell it was an older book, but though the setting was distinctly English and distinctly historical it was amazing. By the next morning I was almost halfway through the book and the second Alice was occupied I slipped away to the library eager to discuss it.

Edward wasn't there, and it occurred to me that he wasn't guaranteed to be coming. Still, I sat in my seat and continued to read until the door opened and Edward walked in. The second he sat down, I was prepared to launch into conversation but he gave me a long, blank-stared look before asking

"Can, if you don't mind me asking, can you tell me about Jacob?"

"Oh." I wasn't prepared for it, and I wondered where the curiosity had come from. I had expected the question at some point, but even when I'd brought up his sister Edward had never brought up Ines or Jacob.

"Only if you don't mind."

"No, I don't." I paused, unsure where to begin. "What would you like to know?"

"Were you truly, did he, did you know that he was going to marry your sister."

"No. I did not know that Jacob and Ines were romantically involved."

"Were you -"

"Not for a long time. And I never, I wasn't in love with Jacob. He is, was, is, I've always thought of Jacob as one of my best friends. I'm close to him, and to my sister, and it hurt that they felt that way and didn't want to tell me. But...I'm hurt and perhaps I shouldn't be...but I'm not heartbroken."

"Of course you're hurt, he broke your trust." Edward frowned, reaching forward and laying a hand on my knee consolingly. I paused; I had never thought of it that way, but he was right.

"Well, they both did." I said, and that was that. Immediately he changed the subject to the book, and even though it took me time to get as excited as I once was, we'd been speaking for three hours before someone texted him and he had to excuse himself.

I went back to my own room, to find Alice pacing in front of my door. The second she saw me she practically dragged me into my room, locking the door behind her.

"He's lost his mind, Isabella. He has truly, lost his mind. I'm getting married to a lunatic."

"Alice, what happened?"

"Yesterday, while you were off doing whatever it is you're doing when I'm not with you, Jasper cornered me and started asking me about Germany. Do you know, I've been appointed a tutor to help me learn about Germany?"

"Alice, you do realize that very soon you're going to be the Queen of Germany?"

"Yes, and I've been taking the lessons seriously and I've been studying and I've even begun learning ein bisschen Deutsch but yesterday we were speaking about symbols and symbolism and I mentioned that Germany's national flower is actually a beautiful little flower. Bella today there is so much cornflower in my room that you cannot walk a straight line to my bed. What is he thinking?"

"Alice! What exactly is it about Jasper that you do not like?"

"That was insane, and wildly impractical. Frankly, if I was part of the royal family I'd fire whoever gave him access to my room to do it."

"Some people might find that romantic, Alice. You would too, if you weren't so determined to dislike him."

"I would not!" Alice huffed, but we both knew it was a lie.

"Well, you should tell him, then, that it was too much."

"Why don't I tell him that everything is too much while we're at it, and ask him if after we get married, he would mind if I lived in a different home and only saw him once a month when I'm fertile."

"Alice!"

"Princess." We were interrupted by a maid sticking her head in.

"Princess Isabella, Prince Jasper is asking if Princess Maria Alice is here."

"Tell him no." "Let him in." Alice glared at me as the maid did as she was told, and Jasper strolled in. He bowed politely to both of us and then stood by the door. He smiled tentatively at Alice, who immediately frowned.

"Alice, did you get my gift?"

"I did." His voice was warm and hopeful, and Alice was the frostiest I'd ever seen her. Jasper rolled his shoulders back, posture getting stiffer.

"I take it that it was not to your liking. I apologize, I can have the flowers removed. May I ask, what it is you didn't like about them?"

Alice squirmed, which I also hadn't expected. Though she never wants to hurt someone's feelings, Alice usually never shies away from saying what is on her mind. Jasper nodded.

"Alright, may I ask what it is you don't like about me?"

"I can excuse myself." I stepped towards the door, but Jasper shook his head.

"No need, I'm sure you've already heard. Alice, I will not be offended. But we are engaged, and if I have done something to offend you or if my family has done something that bothers you, if you are nervous about moving to Germany or getting married, you can – you must tell me. The rest of our lives is a very, very long time to miscommunicate."

"I don't understand why you care so much." Alice finally spoke, and when Jasper tried to respond she held up a hand and shook her head.

"Jasper the hard part is done. If you want to speak, I'll speak to you. If you don't want to speak I won't. I don't understand why you put so much effort into us spending time together, into following me around. You don't need to try so hard all the time. You've already done the hardest part. We're getting married."

For the first time, I saw Jasper approach anything close to anger. He marched into my room until he was staring right at Alice, frowning. But when he spoke, his tone was not irate but deeply mournful.

"Alice, we have not even begun. I assumed that you knew what was happening when you came to Germany and you must not have, I am realizing this now. But our meeting was not an accident. Alice you are beautiful, and kind, and full of life, and that is what attracted me to you and what possessed my father to reach out to your parents. I knew that we could be getting married, and I am deeply sorry if you did not. But if you believe that the hard part for me is over, then you know me even less than I had hoped. The hardest part, will be getting you to be as excited about marrying me as I am to be marrying you."

Jasper waited a moment for Alice to respond, but she was staring up at him with a glazed look in her eyes. Even I couldn't tell what she was thinking or how she was feeling. He nodded, patted her on the arm, nodded to me, and then excused himself from the room.

"I... I need some time...I need to think..." After a long silence Alice tried and failed to speak to me, and then she, too, excused herself from the room.


	11. Wedding

**A/N: I'm so sorry guys! I was on vacation this weekend and I thought that I posted, but clearly I didn't. Thank you for all of the reviews! I've loved reading your responses to Bella and Edward's journey, and to Jasper and Alice's. Hopefully, you'll forgive me for a somewhat sudden departure. Sometimes we need to close a door before we can open one.**

 **I don't own these characters, but this plot is allllllll mine.**

* * *

Alice wasn't at breakfast the next morning, and wouldn't leave her room. Yet I didn't have time to seek her out because the next morning I got word that Jacob and Ines' wedding was being moved up. Dramatically. My sister wanted to be married at Villa Nicolai in Spain. They were booked for over a year, but when they heard that a Princess wanted to get married at their location they scrambled. One last-minute cancellation meant that Nessie and Jacob were pushed to the top of the waitlist and I was called to Spain for the wedding. Happening in just under two weeks.

Three days after I got the news I still hadn't heard from Alice, but Edward escorted me to the private airport I was departing from. It felt somewhat ridiculous to have a plane chartered just for me– though Edward tried to lighten my mood by asking if I wanted a personal escort. I flew directly to Spain, and as Gian Carlo escorted me off the plane I was surprised to see a small assortment of Spanish and Italian press standing and taking pictures. My mother and father were there as well, both looking pleased but for entirely different reasons.

"Princessa! Dejanos ver tu mano!" I was startled, as a man yelled out to let them see my hand. It took me a moment to comprehend what they were truly looking for, at which point everyone began yelling.

"Princessa te sientes como una vieja criada? Eres feliz o amargo?" As they asked me if I felt like an old maid, or if I was bitter, I did my best to borrow some confidence from what I'd learned from Rosalie. I held my back straight, smiled, and completely ignored them. In a few short steps I was in my father's arms, as he pulled me close.

"My beautiful girl, are you enjoying England? I hope your mother has not driven you boy crazy, you should be enjoying your time there." The Italian was soothing after so much time speaking French and English, as was the way my Father pulled me closely to him as he spoke. I knew, from the hug alone, how much he had missed me.

"I have, I am really starting to like England." It was an innocent comment, but I could feel my cheeks grow warm, and I buried my face in my father's shoulder so he wouldn't see.

"Good, I am glad." He gave me one last squeeze, then stepped back. Immediately my mother pulled me into a hug.

"Oh Isabella," she sighed, squeezing me extra tight. "I am so sorry to pull you away from England at such a crucial time. Obviously you are needed here, but I hope this does not become a distraction. It is much more important that you keep your eyes on the prize." She let me go with a smile but a stern look in her eyes. I nodded and looked away towards my father, who extended his elbow.

As we walked to the car waiting to take us away, me on my father's arm and my mother at his other side beaming at the press, he patted my elbow gently. Mother got into the car first, and right before he let me in he whispered "don't let your mother push you too hard." His expression didn't change, and I almost wondered if I imagined it.

Instead of going to our Spanish home, which I expected, we dropped Father off at his office in downtown Madrid, and then immediately Mother took me to a dress fitting.

"Ines! Your sister has arrived!" Mother announced as soon as we walked in the doors of the Rosa Clará boutique. Of course my sister had to have a Spanish wedding dress, though it was hardly a hardship. I wasn't surprised that she'd chosen the feminine, dainty designer. I was surprised to see Angela sitting on a low couch, before Ines pulled me into a hug.

"Isabella I am so happy to see you!" Nessie stepped back and grabbed both of my hands, and I knew what she was really saying. She needed a buffer to our mother. Though Nessie is certainly bolder than me, she marches to the beat of her own drum in a way that our mother does not always acknowledge.

"I've missed you Ines, we have so much to talk about. Come, let me say hello to your wedding party."

"Well, of course you'll be in it. And then Raquel and Rebecca, obviously."

"Obviously." I agreed, smiling at Jacob's sisters. Older than him and both married, the last time I'd seen Jacob's sisters we were speaking about if I thought I was ready to move to Spain and give up being a Princess to be a Countess. I could tell from the awkwardly wide smiles they gave me that they, too, hadn't expected Jacob and Ines. However, when they saw that I was genuinely happy to see them they relaxed a bit and both hugged me.

"We've missed you, Isabella." Rebecca smiled as she stepped away.

"It is great to see you again." Raquel agreed. As soon as she'd let me go, I turned and held my arms out to Angela.

She eagerly stepped forward and hugged me. Angela never forgets her manners, and especially not in front of my mother. When we were younger, my mother banned one of Ines' former friends from our home because the eleven-year-old, in her excitement, had forgotten to curtsy to my father. She didn't tell the girl that, of course, but nevertheless she never came back to our home and Ines slowly made other, more diligent friends.

"I've missed you so much, Bella."

"I miss you too. The internet is definitely not the same as seeing you every day."

"Well, I'm glad that Ines invited me to be in her wedding. Her friend Veronica unfortunately is on a mission trip and cannot return on such short notice, so it's just Jacob's sisters, you, me, and Renata." Angela answered my unasked question with a smile concealing a wink. Angela is the daughter of one of my father's closest friends and confidants and has been friends with our family since we were all young. I wasn't surprised that if Veronica couldn't be in the wedding, Ines chose someone who was like family. Renata had been Ines's friend since childhood and was like family too, though nobody in her family held any titles.

"Bella, you have to see the dress I want for my bridesmaid gowns!" Ines got my attention as she called out, and Angela and I took a seat with Renata, Rebecca, and Raquel. Five women was a very modest royal bridal party, and I hadn't expected it of my sister. But then, with such short notice even 5 tailored dresses plus a wedding gown was a lot to ask.

"Have you seen it yet?" I asked Angela, as one of the shop assistants scurried to go get the gown.

"Nobody has. Ines has been very adamant about doing this herself. She has a vision she wants to execute for this wedding, and she's been surprisingly good at driving it. Invitations already went out, the day after the venue told her they were available."

"I'm not surprised. In another life Ines might have been an event planner or a designer. She sees things in her head so clearly and -" I was cut off as the assistant came out carrying a beautifully simple floor-length blue gown. Immediately I turned to look at my mother, who frowned.

"Ines, sweetheart, you don't think this is a bit too understated? I know you're going for simple, but this gown is..." Mother trailed off and Ines wilted.

"You think?" Ines turned to look at her bridal party, who all wisely kept their mouths shut.

"Your gown is so large and bold. Don't you want something like that for your bridesmaids?" Mother dug in, and I could see Nessie wavering.

"I think it's perfect." I had to cut in. Everyone turned to look at me, and I focused on my mother.

"It is so elegant and simple that Ines will shine next to her bridesmaids, but at the same time it'll photograph wonderfully. We don't have time for custom dresses, and the blue is an exact match to the bouquet you showed me."

Mother looked around at the bridal party staring at her, waiting for her comment, and then sighed.

"Very well. Let's get everyone measured for these. As is, getting a team of seamstresses together to fit you all to these dresses was a nightmare. Perhaps the simpler style is better. Isabella, has Ines told you that His Royal Highness is granting Jacob and your sister a duchy? She will be a Duchess in two countries soon after she is married. And Raquel and her husband will take the family Earldom when William releases it."

The conversation moved on as Raquel was brought up to be fitted to a dress and measured, and when Mother wasn't looking Ines gave me a quick hug and a thank you.

To my surprise, when Emmett arrived the next day from France, he brought Rosalie with him. Seeing her interact with my mother I couldn't help being entertained. I could tell she was trying her best to be gracious and bubbly and my mother was eating it up. A few times when they were speaking Emmett and I would make eye contact and both of us could barely hold back laughs.

While Emmett was getting fitted for his tuxedo, Angela and I showed Rosalie around the Black's property in Madrid. Aside from a few teasing remarks to me about how Buckingham Palace seemed more fitting for me than the Spanish countryside, I was pleased to see Rosalie making an effort to be kind. Angela took a while to warm up to her, which I understood considering what she knew about our relationship. Still, Rosalie was persistent and they found even footing – even if they weren't exactly fast friends.

Three days before the wedding, Rosalie, Angela, and I were at the wedding site "supervising" the placement of the tables for the guests. In actuality, Rosalie was telling Angela an exaggerated story about every single time I had ever spoken to Edward while I cut in with the truth of the situation. I was glad that she didn't know I'd been meeting him in the library, because I was sure that in her mind I would already have a ring on my finger. When she insisted that I missed him, I couldn't find it in me to lie and say I didn't, so I shrugged it off. Rosalie and Angela laughed, and I stood up and walked away under the pretense of fixing one of the tables.

"Isabella." I stopped cold at the sound of my name, and I could feel something welling up within me. I took a minute to get control of whatever it was before turning to face him.

"Hello, Jacob." He held his arms out tentatively for a hug, and I couldn't not accept it. He looked and felt different somehow, less familiar than I expected. But it had been months since I'd seen him, I realized. Longer than we'd ever gone being apart before. With everything going on when he initially proposed I hadn't actually seen him, and then it had been months and months.

"How are you? How is England?" Jacob gave me an easy, even smile but I couldn't make myself smile back. Instead I stared at him, until he gestured to a bench.

"Let's sit, let's talk." I nodded and we walked to the bench in silence.

"Are you not speaking to me?" He asked with a laugh in his voice but I knew him better, I could hear the waver in his voice.

"You're the one who held a secret back from me, Jacob. Who's not speaking to whom?" I tried to smile to soften my words, but his face fell.

"Isabella I... you understand that what we, what I did was not meant to hurt you? I was not trying to fall in love with Ines. For most of my life I believed that I was in love with you, and everyone and everything around me confirmed that and I never questioned it. I pictured our future together. But then Ines grew up and she was so," he paused and looked out as though searching for words.

"I love you, Bella. You are my childhood, and sometimes even more than with Raquel and Rebecca I see my mother and I see my home when I think of you. But Ines, I have never loved somebody like I love your sister. And I could not marry you and carry that love for her. I tried to fight it, and she tried to fight it. She told me not to propose to her, and that we would move on, and that you and I were meant to be together. But I knew. I knew that when the time came everyone would expect me to propose and I was, I am ready to be married. I couldn't do that to you." Jacob paused, staring at me.

When I didn't respond he sat back, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"Are you really not going to speak to me? Isabella, you're still my best friend." At that, I couldn't help the small, hysterical laugh that sprang out of me.

"Jacob, you kept this massive secret from me. You and my sister debated my future without even bothering to include me in the conversation. Honestly, I'm not even sure what to say to you. Ines is young and she is naïve. She just wants everyone to be happy. But you know me Jacob. You know that I would want you and Ines to be happy. And you chose to blindside me. You chose not to tell me Jacob. My life has been thrown off course by what you did, forever changed! And I had no say in what happened because I had no idea it was coming. Don't tell me that you chose not to marry me out of a favor to me Jacob. You proposed to Ines because you wanted to and if you were considering me at all, you would have at least given me the courtesy of telling me to my face!"

I had never, ever gotten angry at Jacob. I hadn't even recognized the emotion I was feeling as anger until it bubbled out of me. Out of habit I glanced around fervently but there was nobody working near us and I could see no press of any kind. The last thing I needed was for any part of the tirade I'd just unleashed to be released by the press – yet another reason to paint me as bitter and scorned. When I turned back to face Jacob, he was holding a hand over his face and as he wiped, I was shocked to see actual tears.

"Bella I am sorry. I am so, so sorry. I didn't know what to do and I was worried and I... I made a bad decision." He was staring me in the eyes at this point, searching for something. He laid his hand over mine and I was shocked by how empty I felt at the contact.

"I wasn't, I didn't think about what it would do to you. I admit that. And I never, I was never trying to, you've never been angry with me." He sounded so confused, and I marveled at how little I cared. I opened my mouth to respond when a very different voice chimed in.

"How dare you." Clearly my glance around us had not been as comprehensive as I thought because Dauphine Rosalie stood in front of us in all of her glory and she was no longer under a veneer of bubbly joy. Eyes narrowed, head held high, she stared down at Jacob with a contempt I hadn't seen on her face since we'd left France months before.

"It is beyond selfish for you to sit here now, after all this time, and expect Isabella to comfort you. I know her now, so we both know that she will forgive you. But if you feel guilty about what you did to her, that is because you know that you wronged her. To expect her to console you through that, is an exceedingly terrible display of so-called friendship. And if she reminds you so much of your mother, it really makes me wonder what your mother would think of you if she could see the man you've chosen to be."

Rosalie never held back her thoughts, but for once my first instinct wasn't to cut her off or soften her tone. She held a hand out to me and I accepted it, and walking away from Jacob as he stared after us on the bench was surprisingly cathartic. She was right, of course I would forgive him. I could appreciate how difficult the choice must have been for him, and I could even almost see how he thought he was doing the right thing. But Rosalie had made a point, too. I always comforted Jacob and looked after him, and he hadn't contacted me one time in all of the mess to see how I was doing. I was hurt, and I suddenly had no interest in preserving his feelings at the expense of my own.

I didn't see Jacob again until the day of the wedding. The wedding itself was beautiful. Despite the short notice, the high-profile event had drawn an excessive crowd of 300 attendees in person, not including the journalists who were allowed to attend and document the occasion as long as they didn't harass any guests or members of the wedding party. I couldn't help the tears I shed as Renata and Emmett gave their speeches, or as Jacob and Ines said their vows. However else I felt, it would be impossible not to feel the rightness of the moment as the two of them became family. I was beyond happy for my sister.

The Spanish King gave a speech at the reception where he teased their ascension to a duchy. I gave a speech directed to my sister, and Raquel and Rebecca both gave one addressed to their brother. We took our pictures, ate cake, and celebrated. The first moment I had to myself I snuck off to the side, and I was surprised to be approached by Alice and Jasper. There was a strange energy between them that seemed neither good nor bad.

"Bella, you look stunning! I thought you weren't allowed to upstage the bride!" Alice greeted me with a smile and a gigantic hug.

"Thank you! I am... very surprised to see you."

"Your sister invited Jasper and I, and a lot of the people in England. Obviously, Jane and Tanya weren't invited and wouldn't have come if they were. Edward really wanted to come actually, he was excited when he got his invitation, but the Queen wouldn't let him off his lessons even for a day trip."

"Oh, I didn't know she would invite any of you."

"I'm sure your mother did."

"How, um, how is Edward? And Jane, and Tanya, and everyone else?" Alice raised an eyebrow at me, and Jasper gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"I definitely think he misses you. Jane and Tanya must be driving him insane; they hover all of the time. Or maybe he enjoys the attention."

"Of course not!" I snapped, and then bit my lip.

"He doesn't seem to, at least." I added, lamely.

"I agree with you, Isabella. He doesn't seem to enjoy much right now. Our constant outings to his friends' social venues have stopped, which Jane is upset about."

"It's Bella." Alice corrected Jasper without a second thought, and again I noticed that energy between them. Alice had clearly decided to make an effort.

"Bella, if I can be frank, it certainly seems as though you are missed." I couldn't brush Jasper off the same way I would Alice, so instead I shrugged.

"You're fighting a hopeless battle Jasper, Bella can't see it. She spent too much time with Jacob growing up. She doesn't notice when a man likes her. Rosalie and I both have tried to tell her."

"Alice!"

"Well, we have."

"Alice, you and Rosalie both speak about it as though I already have a ring on my finger. Even if Edward likes to look at me or speak with me, it doesn't mean there aren't other factors he and his family will consider. They're going to make an intelligent choice, not a passionate one."

"You don't think you are an intelligent choice? Bella you are very regal and proper. It is a surprise coming from Italy even for the monarchy, for you to be so reserved. But England thrives on propriety. Haven't you noticed how hard Jane tries to seem docile and prim when we go out? She thinks if she can win the public, she can win Edward." I hadn't noticed, and I was shocked that Jasper had. I shrugged, unsure of what to say. Alice grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Bella...Bella, Rosalie told me what you said to Jacob. Don't you think that if you could speak up in that arena you should speak up with Edward? If you want him, if you like him, you ought to fight for him!" I smiled, and gently removed Alice's hands from my shoulders before pulling her into a hug.

"Alice, I appreciate your concern for me, I truly do. You are one of my dearest friends. But ultimately this is his and his parents' decision. They are going to make their decision based on what they believe is best for England. Now, we should probably rejoin the party. I'm not sure if you've heard, but there's a wedding going on here!" I laughed and pulled her forward, ending the conversation as I tugged her to the dance floor.

But inside my mind was churning, and I thought about what she and Jasper had said long after the wedding festivities had come to an end.


	12. Wildebeast

**A/N: Your reviews for Chapter 11 were wild from start to finish! Haha, some of you want to smack Bella on the head, some of you want people to leave her alone, most of you want Jacob to permanently exit, stage left, and nearly all of you want more Edward. Apparently, I enjoy making things difficult on my characters a bit too much. That being said...here's Chapter 12!**

 **I don't own these characters but this plot is allllll mine.**

* * *

The morning after the wedding I began packing, preparing myself for a return to England. Alice and Jasper were returning to England, to give themselves more private space to get to know each other, and I assumed it would make sense for me to travel with them. My mother, however, had other plans. Keen to capitalize on having Rosalie at her disposal for the first time, my Mother scheduled several public appearances for myself and Emmett over the course of the week, which Rosalie was of course invited to attend.

Our first three appearances were two days after the wedding. Instead of Rosalie's usual glamorous look, she had to dress more modestly as we set out in Spain. Mirene and Sophie, and Rosalie's glamour team, were all left behind after the wedding. Instead, my mother's approved team dressed us in appropriately natural makeup and classy, pulled back hair for our public appearances. Spain was considerably more conservative than anywhere Rosalie had made appearances before, and I could tell she didn't like the modestly styled blue dress she was given to wear.

Our first appearance was to visit a members' only clubhouse, where we watched a few rounds of golf and spent 20 minutes taking pictures with the golfers' children. Emmett enjoyed annoying my mother by lightly mocking some of the fathers with their delighted daughters, though all in good fun.

Pre-siesta, we changed into suits and skirt-suits for a business lunch with several companies who were considering doing business in Italy. Most of the questions were directed to Emmett. The one time Rosalie tried to enter the conversation, a man rolled his eyes and patted her hand; she had to excuse herself from the room. I went to speak with her but she waved me off, saying that nobody ever treated her that way in France and she only needed to adjust to Spain.

Post-siesta we had a very late dinner with a Spanish Duke and Duchess who were clearly hoping that Emmett might fall in love with their daughter, much to Rosalie's chagrin. By the time the evening was finished, and it became clear to them that their seventeen-year-old was too young to entice the future King of Italy, even Rosalie complained that she was too tired to even contemplate going out that night.

Then we did it again, and again. The Spanish press was mostly concerned with the goings on of their royal family, however by midday on the 3rd day it was clear that Italian and French press had gotten word of where we were, because they began to show up to our outings as well. Day 4, Rosalie greeted me at breakfast by showing me a tabloid that Calista had so graciously sent to her, asking if Rosalie was losing her handle on fashion from too much time spent abroad – which turned 1 "ugly" outfit into a 5 page spread on her "fashion decline."

"Isabella, how do you do this?" She pulled me aside as she flipped through the pages.

"Even you don't dress like this voluntarily. What happened to fun Spain? The islands? Your mother has us attending 4 events today, 4!"

"Rosalie, this is what Spain is like. They hold their nobility to a very high standard of input to the community, and to them nobility is"

"Boring! To them, nobility is boring! This is worse than England. At least Edward can go have an evening out. Ibiza is a fun capital of the world, and we're here in ugly church dresses."

"Spanish nobility would never be caught going to Ibiza for the nightlife, it would be dreadfully common. I don't think Jacob has ever set foot on any Spanish land that wasn't the mainland, nor either of his sisters. They haven't even gone to Barcelona in two years since those rumors of secession began and they tried to raise up a King."

"What about in Italy?"

"Well, you know Emmett has gone out. Italy likes their royalty with a bit of an edge. But I…to be honest, for so long I've been a princess in both. I've been Isabella, la Pricipessa d'Italia, and a future Spanish Countess. I followed Jacob's lead."

"How did you never lose your mind?" Until this point I'd been writing her off as dramatic, but something in her tone of voice caused me to stop and glance at her.

"What do you mean?"

"How long have you known Jacob, and been in Spain?"

"My entire life."

"This would kill me. Being so well-natured and well-behaved all the time would literally kill me. Have you ever done a single thing that wasn't expected of you?"

"Well, Jacob and"

"Don't answer that if you're going to say it was his idea! Bella, haven't you ever wanted to rebel even a little bit? You're so…good. It's like you've never put up a fight. I know that you don't just do what you're told, and I know how compassionate you are, but…I'm trying very hard to be kind here…but do you understand why people think you're boring? Where's your fight?"

"With who, Rosalie? Who am I fighting with here? My mother? The press? The rules of propriety? And what am I fighting against, exactly? Being born with the privilege and duty to represent an entire country? Rosalie my father raised us to understand that we are Italy. Everything I do, or Emmett, or Ines, or our parents – that shapes how people see our country. And my presence in Spain so much and so prominently all throughout my childhood – I am how Spain sees Italy. I know that my reputation in Italy might be dull, but here I am giving, and classy and respectable and that means that here Italy is charitable, highly valued, and worthy of utmost respect."

"Bella…" Rosalie trailed off and stared at me for a long while. Then she closed her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"I don't think I properly understood, before I met her, how demanding Renee is of you. Emmett told me once that she expects the most out of you of any of her children, and I see it now. So does your father. And you just meet those expectations. Your mother wants you to be bold, and outgoing, and classy, and modest, and wild, and proper, and all these oxymorons, and your father wants you to be nothing like your mother, and you can't be all of that. But you try, and you give them what they want, and – do you know what Edward told me about you before I left? He said that getting to know you was like being given a perfectly wrapped, beautiful present that was glued shut, and coming to learn that unwrapping the present was just as fun as the gift inside."

Rosalie paused, but waved me off when I moved to respond. She was getting emotional, I realized, though she was desperately trying to reign it back in.

"I really, I love that he gets that about you. And, I can't believe I'm going to say this, and I will only say it once, I am sorry that I didn't understand these things about you when I met you. But Bella you try way too hard to be who everyone expects you to be. I get that it's who you are, but one day you've got to find something that makes you want to fight. To hell with your reputation, Italy's reputation, your family's reputation – you're going to find something that matters to you more than upholding all this weight that your parents never should have saddled you with. And when that happens, I can't wait for everyone else to see who you really are."

I was stunned to silence. In true Rosalie fashion, almost as though she could not tolerate being kind for so long, she immediately pulled out her phone and busied herself with social media. Meanwhile, as I tried to process what she'd said my mind again reminded me of what Jasper and Alice had said at the wedding about Edward as well. I also pondered her words about my parents. If I was being honest, I could feel the tension of my mother wanting a daughter who was both exactly like her but also above the reproach that she got because of Phil and because of her loud personality. And, I knew that by that same token my father wanted me to be different from my mother in every way – preferring subdued and classy for fear of outspoken and bold.

Being in France and then in England had shifted my mindset a bit. Well, truly, everything that had happened since the proposal had shifted it. Or at least challenged it. Whether the press printed horrible things about me or wonderful things, Italy was still Italy. I was still me. I'd done some things that were very out-of-character for who I was expected to be, and the world hadn't fallen around my feet.

But I also knew that she was projecting, too. For Rosalie, being who she was meant fighting convention around who or what a Princess could be, and Rosalie had made a brand out of that. I didn't mind the rules or the regulations, the dress codes, the expectations. Not truly. I liked that I could always be counted on to do the right thing. And though I understood that it wasn't Rosalie's cup of tea, it was mine. I couldn't fathom a situation in which I would ever want or need to fight or rebel from that.

The next morning, we all returned to Italy, again including an eager Rosalie. We arrived very early, and immediately we were prepared to go out to breakfast with several Dukes and Duchesses. The "event" was to be held at one of my mother's favorite restaurants, but it was meant to be an opportunity for "our generation" to build our bonds. In truth, it was more about staying in our good books and match making. It was a time for the younger, single Duchesses to once again try to appeal to Emmett. It was a time for the Dukes who were single to line up in case things in England were not going well. And for my mother, I'm sure it was a time to flaunt that Rosalie was here and with our family.

When we arrived, there were the standard cameras, as we all smiled and stood comfortably together. Emmett, Rosalie, and I posed in every possible assortment, and then because I knew her mother would appreciate it, I publicly greeted Angela and made sure she was in "candid" pictures with Rosalie and I as well. Then we made our way indoors to socialize. I didn't know fully what to expect. The last time I'd been at one of these events I had been off limits as everyone, including me, believed that I would be marrying Jacob. Technically I was off limits because of Edward, but that wasn't an absolute and I wasn't sure if it would or wouldn't be a deterrent for any of the still-single Dukes.

Amongst the women in the room, I expected that Rosalie would be the popular topic of conversation all morning, as she'd never been to Italy and none of our nobility knew her. To my surprise, however, people seemed just as eager to speak to me as to Rosalie.

Of course, several people commented on her beauty and fashion sense, and some were bold enough to congratulate Rosalie for my "transformation." But I would not necessarily call any of the young Duchesses aside from Angela my friend, yet Angela could barely get a word in edgewise. People, especially the women, were asking me about Edward and my time in England, and whether I was going to be a Queen. It was strange to see Rosalie return to a cool hauteur after the smiles she'd worn in Spain, but everyone seemed to be eating it up. She treated everyone in the room as though she was superior to them, and everyone seemed to naturally acquiesce.

Seeing Rosalie and Emmett together, they were both clearly in their element. Again, there was nothing about their behavior that suggested any type of closeness or intimacy. And yet, Rosalie delicately outmaneuvered or redirected any Duchess that attempted to get closer to Emmett. Emmett spent most of his time with the Dukes in the room rather than the Duchesses which, while not necessarily out of character, was somewhat of a departure. Once again, Rosalie and Emmett displayed a powerful yet subtle attunement to each other.

When we finally arrived home, I got a minute to myself just to breathe. Being in my bedroom felt strange. It was obviously familiar, but at the same time I felt like a different person. I had some time to myself to nap and relax, and then there was a knock at the door.

"Emmett won't go out with me tonight and I assume you won't either, but we should at least go to dinner. I've never been to Italy, I want pasta." Rosalie greeted me, floating into my room to perch on the edge of my bed.

"Have you asked someone to make us a reservation?" I asked. Rosalie shrugged. "I wanted to ask you first."

I had to hold back a smile at that.

"Let's go to Ratanà. Chef Battisti threw my father a banquet for his birthday this past year and the atmosphere is wonderful."

"Will..." Rosalie started and immediately paused as her phone went off. She paused, glancing between me and her phone, and then made a phone call.

"Rosalie, what is it?" I immediately recognized the smooth voice coming from the phone and stared at Rosalie with wide eyes.

"Edward, instead of texting me about Isabella wouldn't you rather speak with her?"

"Rosalie, I'm not"

"You're on speakerphone, Eddie. She's right here."

"Oh." There was a pause, and Rosalie stared between me and the bed expectantly until I came to sit next to her.

"Hello, Bella." It was embarrassing how quickly I felt my face flush at his voice. Rosalie thrust her phone into my hands and then stood to leave.

"Rosalie, where are you going?" I asked, gripping the phone tightly.

"To make our reservation." She shrugged and strode out.

"She's left, then?" Edward asked, and I remembered I hadn't said anything to him.

"Um, yes. She has. Hello, Edward. How have you been?"

"I've been alright. I've...it's not the same here in England, without you. I am sorry that I couldn't accompany you, sorry, your family to your sister's wedding. It looked beautiful. I hope it wasn't, I hope it didn't cause you any pain."

"No, it was actually healing, in a way. Seeing that Spain isn't in my future anymore. I'm happy for my sister, and for my friend."

"Truly?"

"Edward...I know why everyone is concerned. But I have never felt anything more for Jacob than a deep friendship and I am happy that he and my sister can be happy. Spain isn't my future anymore."

"Isabella" He breathed out my full name and then paused for a moment "Truly, if we...would you resent moving to England? I know that it is not as rich or as warm as Italy, and you just got your freedom back."

"England isn't Italy, but that doesn't mean that I don't like it, Edward. There is a lot that I am coming to love about England. I've missed being there while I've been away." Though, if I was being honest, the biggest thing I was missing about England was Edward. Edward cleared his throat at that, then changed the subject.

"What have you been doing since the wedding?"

"Mother has been excited to have Rosalie at her disposal. We did some events in Spain, and we have a few events in Italy. I'm hoping to be back in England within the next two or three days."

"You are coming back? So soon?"

"Yes, of course. I hadn't realized, of course I'm coming back Edward."

"I wasn't sure. I could understand the temptation to rediscover Italy. Your family's press page posted a lovely photo of you and Emmett with all of the Italian nobility."

"It was nice to see some of them again, definitely lovely to spend more time with my friend Angela. But they don't know me, Edward. There's nothing to rediscover. No matter where I end up, I'd be starting over in a way."

"Well, England is better when you're here, Principessa." His voice got lower, rougher, and he cleared his throat before abruptly changing the subject once again.

"If you know what day you might be returning, my schedule is much clearer these days. I know that you love the gardens. My family has a private garden in Bath that I meant to show you before you left. I can set it up so that we might all go. I'll have someone take your things to Buckingham."

"That would be so kind of you, Edward." I hoped he couldn't hear how hard I was smiling over the phone. "I'll be back in three days. I'll make sure everyone knows I've already promised you. Does that work?"

"Absolutely, we'll take the weekend. It'll be lovely. I'll make the preparations then. What is the most exciting thing you've done since you left England?"

As we continued to speak, I felt the familiar comfort settle in. I was startled when Rosalie walked back into the room, and from the look of it she was startled as well.

"You're still on the phone?"

"One moment, Edward, Rosalie has returned."

"It's been nearly an hour, Edward." Rosalie called out. I checked and saw that she was right, and nervously handed her the phone. I hadn't meant to tie up so much of his time. Rosalie pushed the phone back towards me, and called out again.

"You should really both have the other's phone number."

"Isabella, may I have your phone number?" Edward asked nearly immediately.

"Oh, of course." I gave him my number, and then we got off the phone. He texted me that he hoped I enjoyed my dinner with Rosalie.

I had planned on Rosalie and I slipping peacefully into dinner, but Mother and Chef Battisti had other plans. Instead we posed for photographs with the chef in front of the restaurant before being escorted to a private dinner. Dinner itself, once we finally made it, was fantastic. When we left there were paparazzi, but the two of us ignored them in favor of making our way back to Scaligero.

The two of us along with Emmett ended up spending the night in. Emmett was exhausted from his day, which mainly consisted of speaking to the elected officials along with our Father and seeing to some of the duties he managed as part of Father's appointed board.

It was Rosalie who left first though, excusing herself to go to bed with a quick admonishment to me that I hadn't posted any pictures since I'd returned to Italy, and her hard work couldn't be all for nothing. Emmett pulled me into conversation about England immediately, asking if I knew information about a few politicians and noblemen – some of whom I'd met and others I hadn't even heard of.

Our conversation lulled, and I stood to leave, only to be surprised by Emmett pulling me into a hug. He held me for a long breath, and then held me out in his arms and stared at me.

"You and Rosalie are truly friends?" He asked, staring at me as though he'd see a lie before I even spoke.

"Yes, Emmett." I sighed. He nodded, and then pulled me into another deep hug.

"Good. Because I'm going to marry that woman one day." Before I could react, he kissed my forehead and strode his way out of the room. I had never heard that much conviction in Emmett's voice about anyone before, or much of anything. I thought about Rosalie as a sister-in-law and as a Queen of Italy, and then I just thought of Rosalie with Emmett. And I decided that I believed him.


	13. Everyone's Replaceable

**A/N: I didn't even realize I forgot to post last week until like 3 days ago. So...here's 2 to make up for it! Enjoy :D**

 **I don't own these characters but I do own this plot!**

* * *

As promised, that Friday morning I was on a plane back to England. Most of my belongings were being sent to Buckingham, and Mirene and Sophie assured me that they would meet me in Bath with proper clothes. Apparently Mirene had been keeping her eye on how my mother's team was styling me and was not impressed.

We landed on a private runway in Bath, and to my surprise Edward was there to greet me personally. He hugged me the moment I set foot on the runway, and for once there were no press, reporters, or paparazzi trying to capture every moment.

"I hope your flight was pleasant." Edward stepped back, a hand on both of my arms. He was beaming, and I almost gasped. Edward looked radiant, much happier than I had ever seen him.

"It was very smooth." I smiled back. He paused for a moment, staring at me, and then slid an arm around my back and led me into the small airport. We walked straight through and out the other side, where a car was waiting, without him moving an inch from my side. Edward, not Gian Carlo, escorted me into the car. Then, when the doors were firmly closed, he turned to face me.

"I must admit, I've missed our chats together. It was lovely to speak to you on the phone, and I was glad to hear that you found something you liked in England after all."

"Of course, Edward. I…I'm very glad to be back." Edward smiled, then immediately began telling me everything he had planned for Bath. I was excited for more horseback riding, and more time outside of the city. However, my excitement dimmed when I arrived at my room in a beautiful country manor to see Mirene standing in wait, frowning.

"Isabella, thank God that you are back." Mirene spoke in quick French, and in the time it took for my brain to process, she guided me to sit on a lounge chair in my room.

"Isabella we have become, I have come to care for you a great deal which is why I must tell you that you must do something about this." Mirene deposited a stack of magazines, newspaper clippings, and tabloids in my lap. The top one was called "Grecian Goddess to become English Rose?" and had a picture of Jane outside one of the nightclubs we'd all gone to. She was clutching Edward's arm, and though you couldn't see his face, she was beaming at him with that same intense smile.

The rest were hardly better. The tabloids all had headlines claiming that a wedding was imminent. One claimed an "inside source" told them it was all but confirmed that Jane was to be the future Queen of England, another that she was "very close to the family," and a 3rd that Edward preferred blondes like his father and sister, and when Rosalie "spurned" him, Jane was the next logical choice.

The newspapers were a bit better, but still commented that he and Jane certainly seemed to be cultivating an intimate pubic image indicative of a potential engagement. The magazines had spreads of photos of the two of them, with a few pictures of me and Edward and Edward and Tanya, and did body language comparisons with "experts" to "prove" that he and Jane had "real chemistry."

"He doesn't like her the way he likes you." Mirene assured me as I flipped through everything. I knew that. I knew the type of person that Jane was, but it was still a shock to see what her machinations had earned her. Suddenly I understood her a bit more. If she wasn't winning Edward over, she was at least making it difficult to take her out of the conversation. Popular opinion went a long way – more serious matters had been settled in similar ways before.

"I should try harder, though." I said, sitting back in my seat. It was true – I had kept mine and Edward's relationship very private to avoid Alice's prying and because I never typically played into the drama of what the media wanted to see. But clearly England was a different animal from Italy or Spain, and Mirene's concern made me more concerned. I vowed then and there that whenever I saw press while all of us were out, I wouldn't let Jane monopolize Edward's attention.

"You've missed him." Mirene asked, as she stared at me. The question was out of the blue, but as I looked up at her I saw a knowing in her eyes.

"I have." I confirmed. There was nothing else to say.

Unfortunately for me – either the press and paparazzi hadn't been informed that Edward was taking the Princesses to Bath, or their security was much more top notch than in London. We did not see one flash for the five days that we spent in Bath. We did a beautiful trail ride, had a wonderful farm-to-table dinner, toured the bridge and Abbey, spent a full day in a private suite in the baths just us girls, and visited every museum. Aside from tourists and residents with smartphones, no pictures were taken.

Part of me felt silly for worrying, especially as I was otherwise having the time of my life. Jane barely spoke to Edward, her and Tanya instead seeming to prefer their own company without the pressure of the press. It almost felt like Edward and I were on a private vacation – and unlike my time in Versailles I got to do everything I wanted to do.

The only exception to the apparent photography ban in Bath was when Edward took us to dine with Chris Cleghorn at his restaurant The Olive Tree. None of us expected it, though I suppose it made sense that the chef would want the world to know royals were dining at his restaurant. Instead of letting Jane slip in to "ask Edward a question" and pose for pictures, I kept an arm around his waist as we continued our conversation from the car. When we stopped for the pictures he slid his arm from my shoulders to my back and pulled me closer, truly posing with me. Then he distracted me by whispering a question that made me laugh, and next thing I knew we were posing with the chef before being seated.

"How are you enjoying Bath?" After dinner, Edward stayed close to me as we left, escorting me out of the restaurant without a care for Jane or Tanya. It felt petty to admit but I certainly liked the attention.

"It's so peaceful here. Are the media typically this absent?"

"Not always, but often. Most of the time if me or my family are in Bath, we're not getting up to anything interesting. They don't bother to come unless there's a tip – such as us going to dinner tonight. You look absolutely stunning, by the way love." I couldn't help blushing slightly at the endearment, as Edward helped me into the car. Jane and Tanya remained outside with the paparazzi a bit longer, as we slid over to make room for them.

"What have you liked the most?"

"The company." It slipped out, but Edward smiled lazily as I said it, sliding closer to me and sliding an arm gently around my waist as Jane and Tanya slid into the car. As our security entered behind them, Edward quickly took his arm back, but left his thigh pressed against mine the entire drive home.

Truthfully, I knew I had no claim on Edward. But I recognized that my inability to think of much other than him, and the way I missed him while in Spain and Italy, meant that I could no longer deny feelings for him. I wanted to believe that his posing with me – true posing and not the courtesy shots he took with Jane – meant something to him as well. I wished for some of my mother's boldness, just enough to ask him how he felt about me. But though I was sure that he possessed no strong feelings for Jane, I was not ready to hear him say that he did not view me that way, if he didn't.

We arrived back in London to the usual press and paparazzi, and I had to contain my smile as Edward made a show of escorting me to the car and helping me in, though he did remain outside to help Jane and Tanya in as well. Jane stared at me, not saying a word, for the entire ride back to Buckingham.

The next morning Mirene brought me another tabloid with a picture of the moment Edward made me laugh next to a picture of Jane laughing clutching Edward's arm. The headline was "Trouble in Paradise? How la Principessa used Absence to her Advantage." Mirene was smiling, but I felt a bit dirty staring at the headline, and didn't open the article.

"It's just a silly paper." I smiled gently towards Mirene, and she took the hint and tossed it before starting on my look with Sophie.

At breakfast, only Tanya sat at the table. Jane was nowhere to be seen, nor Edward and his parents, and I felt my heart drop to my stomach. However halfway into our breakfast the royal family arrived sans Jane, all looking somewhat agitated. Neither Tanya nor I asked, and we sat through an awkward breakfast until we all dissipated.

I didn't get my answer for what was going on until I ran into Edward in what I'd begun to think of as our library. I wasn't even sure he would be there, and I waited for over an hour for him to walk in. Edward sank down on the couch next to me, resting with his head in his hands. Unsure what to do, I laid a tentative hand on his shoulder and he looked up at me.

"Congratulations are in order. King Caius of Bulgaria has passed away, and by some machination her Father has arranged for her to marry to his son, Prince Alec. He informed her and our family today that she is to leave England by tonight. She'll be flying to Bulgaria for her wedding, the news will be released tomorrow."

"What?"

"By the end of the week, Jane will be Queen of Bulgaria."

"What happened to King Caius?"

"He suffered a heart attack, unfortunately."

"But Alec is…" I stopped myself from finishing the sentence. I'd never met Alec, as it was his father who'd come for Kate's funeral and left immediately afterwards. But he had a reputation for being somewhat strange, quiet and reserved to the point of alienation. I felt bad for Jane, imagining her marrying him with no warning and moving to a country I was sure she'd never been to. Also, I wasn't sure Alec's age but I knew he was in his late-thirties. With Jane being twenty-four, it meant that he had to be at least twelve years older than her.

"Yes, he is." Edward agreed, flopping back onto the couch out of my reach.

"The Queen is none-too-pleased either."

"Oh, was she…fond of Jane?"

"Not particularly, no. But she doesn't like the idea of it looking like we were spurned by Greece." Edward was staring straight at the ceiling, and I could feel his frustration. I tentatively laid a hand on his knee, and he glanced at me.

"I'm sorry, this is your first day back. We were all just taken by surprise."

"No, I appreciate you telling me, I just feel bad for her."

"You do?" Edward leaned up, just enough to stare at me with one eyebrow raised.

"This has to be a shock for her, as well. Now she's moving to Bulgaria to get married to a man I'm sure she's never even met. I know it's…that's part of the duty and risk of being a Princess but it's still…" I trailed off, as Edward stared at me.

"What?"

"I just, hadn't thought of it that way, Isabella." Edward gave me a gentle smile, but there was still a far away look in his eyes.

Our conversation fizzled, and Edward left shortly afterwards to speak to his grandmother. I left to go somewhere I'd never been before – Jane's room.

I had a vague idea of where she was staying, and made my way to her room with the help of a maid. She seemed surprised to see me, but welcomed me in with a smile.

"Yes, what is it Isabella?" I rarely spoke directly to Jane, so I wasn't too surprised that she used my full name. I was much more surprised by the excitement I felt from her, which didn't at all match what I expected.

"I, we heard what happened. I wanted to come see that you were alright."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jane was staring at me with a raised eyebrow, and I wondered if she was playing coy, or genuinely confused.

"I know that Alec doesn't have the best reputation." I said delicately. Jane laughed aloud, staring at me in disbelief.

"His reputation? Isabella, Alec is a weirdo and a manchild. Do you know how unmarriageable you have to be to be a Prince, and be unmarried at thirty-seven?" I agreed, but I was clearly missing something, and Jane could see it, as she sighed.

"Isabella, Alec doesn't want the throne. He's clearly never wanted the throne. Not only am I going to become a Queen instantly, the second I touch down in Bulgaria, but the second I have a crown on my head the power shifts to me. I'll be there to take the burden of decision making and interacting with people right off his shoulders, and he'll thank me. Edward is certainly pretty, and Great Britain is much more influential than Bulgaria, but as Queen of England you'll always be Edward's helper at best."

"I…" I had no response for that, but I felt an intense anger stirring deep within me.

"Just like that, you're over England?"

"Isabella, this was always about a crown for all of us, let's not make this more than it is. I'm getting my crown, and you're losing your only real competitor. We both win."

"Sure." I said, not because I thought she was right, but because I was too angry to say anything else.

I held onto that anger, unsure what to do with it, until I bumped into Alice and Jasper in the hallway. They weren't touching, but they were walking and laughing and seemed friendly and for a moment I thought about ducking away not to burst their bubble. But then Alice caught sight of me and even across the hall, her first words to me were

"Bella, what's wrong."

"Alice." I sighed, and she tugged on Jasper's arm to get him to bend so she could whisper something in his ear. He nodded and took off down the hallway, and she pulled me back to her room.

"Okay, tell me." Alice said, as soon as the door to her room was shut.

"This whole thing with Jane was just an act for her. This whole thing. She never, never cared about Edward."

"Bella, you knew that."

"I knew it was superficial, I heard what Emmett and Rosalie and you said. But this is more than that, Alice. She just, like it's nothing. She's just done with him. Alice she's happy to be marrying Alec."

"Bella, what did you expect?"

"I don't know, I didn't expect her to – I thought she would at least be…"

"More like me? Disappointed about not marrying her true love?"

"Well, I guess, yeah."

"Wasn't it you who told me originally that this was just our duty? This isn't different from marrying Jacob, or Edward."

"This is very different from me marrying Jake or Edward. I would've been marrying one of my best friends, and to marry Edward would be – " I cut myself off, but Alice wasn't deterred.

"Would be what, Bella? Marrying Edward would be what?" Just like that, the wind flew out of my sails and I sighed. I realized why I had gotten so suddenly angry, and it had nothing to do with Jane and everything to do with me and my feelings for Edward.

"Alice, I like him so much it scares me. Marrying Edward would be, I think this is the first time I've ever, I want to marry him Alice. I want it to be me. And it made me so angry to think that it could have been Jane, and she was willing to leave with no feelings whatsoever."

"I think you more than like him, Bella." Alice said, and then leaned in to kiss me on the forehead.


	14. Wild for the Night

**A/N: Aaaaaaand the 2nd chapter, as promised! Thank you all for your lovely reviews. I really, truly appreciate and read them all. They make my day, every single time! Hopefully, you're all still with me even though I sometimes forget to post.**

 **The characters belong to SM, the plot belongs to me.**

* * *

Suddenly, I wanted to be bold. Realizing how deeply I cared for Edward, I decided that it was time to take a risk and make my feelings known. So the next morning, when he invited Tanya to a private breakfast that left me eating with Alice and Jasper, I was just aware enough to process how deeply it hurt.

Realistically, I knew that in order to avoid angering Russia, Edward couldn't just tell Tanya to get lost, even if that was what he was feeling. But as I sat with Alice and Jasper at breakfast, I wondered if that was what he was feeling.

I only felt worse as a few days passed, and Edward seemed to be avoiding me. Sure, he saw Tanya and I at every meal, but outside of that he seemed to be always unavailable. He wasn't even coming to our library, though I still came in to read every day and kept guarding the secret.

Four days after Jane left, there was a knock at my door. I struggled not to get my hopes up, but I was still disappointed as Tanya strode in, blonde curls as pristine as ever. She looked nervous, and she barely allowed me to bring her to the sitting area before she collapsed next to me on the loveseat and grabbed my hand.

"Isabella, I've been thinking and I – please you will let me stay until the wedding?" Her eyes searched mine, and she huffed when she saw my apparent confusion.

"I know I should leave when Edward ask you to marry him, but please. I can't go back to Russia yet. Girls in England are so, it is different here. And I won't be able to leave Russia again unless my father finds another foreign man for me to marry like Irina. So please, when he ask, can you ask on my behalf that I can stay?"

"Who told you Edward and I are getting married?" I asked, unable to reign in my face to control my shock. I wondered if Jane said something to her before she left, though I couldn't imagine why she would.

Then Tanya looked confused, staring at me with a deep frown that somehow left her looking even sweeter.

"Who else will he marry?"

"I….you?" I asked her., Tanya shook her head and chuckled.

"This is joke, da?"

"No?" I stared at her, wondering if I'd missed something monumental hiding out in the library.

"Everyone knows he will marry you. Even Jane. It made her angry, that was why she was so happy to have Alec."

"There are no guarantees that he will choose me, Tanya. He hasn't even – I've hardly seen him since we got back from Bath." Tanya shook her head emphatically, before I'd even stopped speaking.

"Who has seen him? It was like before Bath too, after you left. His grandmother has him working all day long."

"He took you to breakfast the other day." I had no idea what I was saying, not sure if I was trying to convince her I was right, or make her convince me I was wrong. She patted my hand like I was being a child, and I was – I knew I was. But I couldn't stop my digging, now that I had her to speak to, away from prying ears.

"To say sorry because Jane left me. She is – I don't have many friends. In Russia most nobles have boys, I am around boys all the time after my sister got married. Then I get here, and Jane is my friend. And you, and the twins, and Alice, and Rosalie but the twins had each other and you have Rosalie and Alice, and I had Jane. So, he knew I would be sad when she left me." The guilt punched me in the stomach.

"Why you think he would marry me?"

"He could." I answered. My answer wasn't good enough, because Tanya was still staring at me, eyes expectant.

"Tanya, you're beautiful. You are very poised, you're very kind and considerate. You don't speak about it much but I know that you understand politics more than you let on." Tanya snorted.

"I am like smart, pretty horse? Isabella you are like queen. You have manners, you are elegant, you say right thing always. Everybody likes you, even Jane liked you except she wanted Edward for husband. You are not good at seeing. I know you like Edward. You could love him. Why would he not want that?" I shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable, and Tanya stood up, hesitantly.

"You did not promise me." She said. I stood as well and acquiesced.

"If he proposes to me, Tanya, I will invite you to stay until we are married." She smiled and nodded, before excusing herself from my room. For the first time in days I didn't go the library, and instead went to Alice's room. I explained the whole story to her, and she giggled through the whole thing, before sighing.

"Tanya is right, you know. You're not good at seeing." She shook her head at me.

"Not good at seeing what?" I almost snapped, digging my fingers into her comforter to keep from letting irritation seep into my tone.

"Oh Bella." She said instead, shaking her head. No matter how I pushed, she wouldn't budge, and eventually she turned the subject back to her and Jasper. They were finally discussing some ideas about their wedding, and as she spoke about the planning, I could hear the excitement in her voice. I let her joy wash away my frustration, deciding to be happy instead of confused and irritated.

Two days later, Edward came to breakfast and I could see that whatever he was doing, he clearly wasn't enjoying himself. He looked exhausted, even as he excitedly told us all that we were all invited to another evening out. After breakfast he stopped me for a moment, pulling me into a hug and telling me he'd missed me, before excusing himself for more time with his grandmother. Because he was stepping in to take over the government so quickly, I'd learned that part of what he was doing was meeting with his grandmother's parliamentary cabinet and feeling them out.

"How do you want us to dress you?"

Several hours later, I was sitting in my room with Mirene and Sophie. For once, my biggest concern wasn't propriety.

"I want to feel…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say. I'd been so sure that I was ready to be bold just the week before, but I was starting to feel very unsure again. I wasn't even sure what I was scared of. It wasn't embarrassment, or even rejection really. I had just spent so long doing what was expected of me that I never expected to make a choice. Now that I had let myself want something, I was suddenly terrified of not getting it.

"I want to feel like Rosalie." I said, finally. Smiling sheepishly at Mirene. She smirked back, walking over to her bag and pulling out a dress.

"Something like this?" Every bone in my body screamed no – I almost felt like I could actually hear my mother's voice in my head. It was short, and it was strapless, and it was red. Instead, I ignored my instincts and nodded hesitantly. She had Sophie do my makeup first, while she fussed with my hair, and then let Sophie finish it. Only then did they put me in the dress.

It was the most blatantly sexy thing I had ever worn in my life, though I knew in my heart that it would still be tame if I really was Rosalie. It was bejeweled, and when I saw myself in the mirror I felt like I was almost shining. I looked nothing like I usually looked, with a deep red lip and my hair down and wavy. I expected to feel uncomfortable but I didn't – I felt as powerful as I had the night I'd run away from everything in the Paris nightclub. So good, that I hugged Sophie and Mirene before making my way out.

The look I got from Edward when he saw me made me feel even bolder. Then Alice's jaw dropped when she saw me, and she widened her eyes comically before turning to hide her face in Jasper's torso. She didn't say a word, but when Edward was looking away she winked at me.

"You are absolutely stunning." Edward murmured to me as he escorted me into our car, before helping Tanya in. He then immediately slid in next to me, staring down at me in the limo with wide pupils. We didn't speak the entire ride, but the second he helped me out of the car, he didn't let go of me again. We didn't stop to take pictures, instead strolling straight in.

"Hello, mate." We only stopped for Edward to be greeted by a friend, at which point Alice caught up to me and gently pulled me away.

"Isabella." She breathed, staring at me. "What got into you?" I shrugged.

"Is it too much?"

"No, absolutely not." Alice shook her head and then Jasper joined us, pulling her to the side. I felt it when Edward found me, hovering behind me for a moment, before clearing his throat.

"Principessa." He breathed, and I turned and smiled at him.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He asked, and I nodded. Normally I would say no, but that night I had already decided to just do what everyone else had been insisting, to relax, and have fun.

It turned out, that meant more than just having a drink. One drink turned into three, and suddenly ballroom dancing wasn't the only kid of dancing we were doing. Once we got into the VIP area, I found myself having a lot of fun with Edward. I let him put his hands on my hips, I was shaking and jumping and dancing and laughing. I felt free, and I wondered if that was how Rosalie always felt. I got an idea why she might like going out so much, why Emmett did it so often. I allowed myself to forget that I ever knew people were counting on me, to stop worrying what it might look like and just do what I wanted.

On his part, Edward seemed glad to be along for the ride. Any tiredness I'd seen in him earlier was gone, and I liked the way he was looking at me. I didn't want him to stop. Jasper, Alice, Tanya, even Edward's friends seemed to be giving us space and I really appreciated it.

"Do you want to go sit down?" We technically had a private table, secluded in the back away from prying eyes. Normally, I would've been camped there all night, until Alice pulled me out to the dance floor. That night, I almost didn't want to leave the dance floor. I did though, letting him pull me back to a thankfully empty table.

After helping me sit, he just looked at me for a moment.

"Edward was there something"

"Do you know that you are impossible to read?" Edward stared at me, a slight smile contrasting the bite in his words.

"I am?"

"You are for me. Sometimes I think I have you figured out but then…"

"Then?"

"I have been trying to do things the right way, and respect your boundaries, because I'm sure the last thing any of you wanted was to be shipped to England like cattle at an auction. I told myself that I would wait until I was sure, and then tonight. You are beautiful Principessa but tonight you are, intoxicating. And I know I should not ask, but I would beg you for even just one hint of what it is you feel for m –"

It took me a second to realize that he never finished his sentence, and another second to realize that I was the reason. Then he kissed me back, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer to his body. I felt him suck my lower lip into his mouth and bite down gently and I couldn't help the small noise that I made in the back of my throat – which only made him squeeze harder and pull me even closer.

"Guys there are paparazzi" I heard Alice's voice, but for another long moment I was too preoccupied to care. He reacted first, gently pushing me back and then easing us out of the booth. I was still distracted by the fact that he looked woefully put together, and I was tempted to pull him back to me and see if I could fix that. But, even my newfound boldness had limits. Instead, I didn't let go of him all of the way back to Buckingham, and I let him kiss me goodnight as he stood outside of my room – another deep kiss that ended much too soon for my liking.


	15. A Question

**A/N: Me? Actually posting on a Saturday? It can't be! Haha, I'm on time for once! Enjoy :D**

 **I don't own these characters, but I do own my plot.**

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, Edward pulled me aside and promised me that he would meet me in the library before lunch, even if only briefly. For 15 minutes he kissed me, pulling me firmly against his body as though he was trying to devour me. Then he walked me to lunch, and I didn't see him for the rest of the day. I wanted too much – both desperate to ask him what everything meant and completely unwilling to jeopardize the quiet elation that was building in the pit of my stomach.

Over the next few days, however, that elation dimmed as I hardly saw him. None of us did – I knew that I was being ridiculous to expect to when he'd been candid about his busy schedule. But after the third day in a row where the only time I saw him was a stolen kiss after a meal as he ran off somewhere, I needed to vent to Alice.

"Jasper and I will be married in a month." Alice greeted me as a strode into her room. I blinked, temporarily forgetting what I'd wanted to say.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm letting you know, because you'll most likely have to manage you and Edward's social calendar when he proposes to you. We'll be married in early August. The official announcement will be made tomorrow."

"Does that mean – why so soon?" I asked, sinking to sit on the edge of Alice's bed.

"Well, think of what it would look like if you were married before us. I had a talk with my mother and she pointed out that since he's known me, the only thing I've done is keep Jasper out of Germany chasing me around."

"Alice…" I trailed off. Alice never listens to what her mother says to her; seeing her look so dejected over something her mother had said was shocking.

"Alice, what's really the matter?"

"Before me, Jasper had a serious girlfriend. I never even thought to look it up, because I was so sure that I didn't care and didn't want to know a thing about him. But the other night, he asked me if I had dated anyone before him, and of course I told him we weren't really dating but…then he told me about Maria. And I'm not self-conscious about him. Honestly, you told me that I could be chasing off my own happy ending Bella and you were right, because Jasper is more than what I imagined he could be. He chose me, and that's everything. But I mean Maria is tall, but she has long, dark hair – his sister didn't used to dye her hair dark like that until they met Maria. She – we don't look alike but he has a type. And then I talked to my mother and it just hit me that I'm going to be the Queen of Germany one day and all of these people have expectations of me."

"Alice, you've lost me." I said honestly, reaching out to pat her knee. I couldn't tell if she was upset about what her mother said, or something Jasper said about Maria, or something else I was missing.

"My mother thinks that I'm going to look like a replacement for the Maria he lost. And because I'm not German, and ever since he's known me we haven't returned to Germany, I'm going to look like a poor replacement. And I want to say that it doesn't matter but it does matter, because I'm going to be the Queen of Germany Bella, and how people feel about me reflects on how they feel about Jasper. So my mother is right, it's time for us to be married, and for me to move to Germany and be his wife."

"Oh." I had no idea what to say. Alice smiled.

"I know I don't seem like it, but I am excited Bella. I'm excited to marry him. I'm not in love with him yet, but I think I will be. And he – he told me he loved me the other day, casually. Like it was nothing. And if he does, that's all I need. I didn't get to choose Jasper, but I know now that if I could've, I probably would've. So, it's time."

A small smile spread across my face, watching Alice's face brighten up speaking about Jasper. From seeing her refuse to speak to him, to where they were now, I could see that he was overcoming the frustration and disappointment she'd felt about an arranged marriage. I understood where her mother was coming from as well, though I still didn't fully understand the situation with Maria. I wasn't at all surprised that Jasper had told her he loved her. He was halfway there when she still wanted nothing to do with him.

"Alice, I'm happy for you." I grabbed her hand and squeezed it, and then Alice leaned forward and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm happy for you! What did you come in here to talk to me about?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to see you." I smiled.

"Are you sure?" I nodded, but Alice shook her head.

"You won't sound ridiculous Bella, just say what you're feeling."

"Alice, I didn't expect to feel anything for Edward. I came here because I was expected to and I… now I'm worried about what happens if I lose him." I shrugged. Alice smiled, and patted my arm.

"Then it's a really good thing you're not going to." Alice slid closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder. She was silent for a moment, and then she sat up and stared at me.

"Bella, don't you think that you might be punishing Edward for what happened with Jacob, just a bit? Edward isn't going to surprise you and decide to marry someone else. He's clearly pursuing you, Bella, because he wants to marry you. He wants to. And clearly his family approves of you, or you wouldn't still be here – they had no problem sending Jasper's sisters home. The rug isn't going to be pulled out from under you this time. If anything, it sounds like he was just waiting for you to be bold enough to show him how you feel. I wouldn't be surprised if he proposed today."

"You think this has to do with Jacob?" She could not have said something that shocked me more.

"I think you went right from one big disappointment right into another relationship, and it's making you maybe a tiny bit insecure. Now come on, it's almost lunch time. Maybe Edward will be at lunch with a ring, and the rest of us can watch the two of you stare dreamily at each other." Alice laughed, and I couldn't help joining in despite my jumbled thoughts. She'd given me something new to think about for sure.

Despite Alice's teasing and winking Edward didn't propose during lunch. He did escort me to our library afterwards where he held me in his lap, alternating between kissing me so gently I thought I might melt, and explaining the policy he'd been going over with the lords in his soon-to-be cabinet.

"I cannot believe how much has happened in less than six months." Edward was gently caressing my fingers with one hand, and I almost missed what he said.

"I can't believe how well you've handled it all. You've shown admirable strength Edward, truly."

"You admire me, then?" Edward teased. I smiled, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I more than admire you, Edward. I…I've missed you this week. But I'm also proud of you. I thought your grandmother was crazy when I first heard what she planned to do to you. But now that I've met you, now that I know you, I understand. You are so wise, and determined to succeed, and you care so much about Great Britain and…you are going to be a phenomenal king, Edward."

"Only with the right queen by my side." Edward smiled gently, then leaned down to kiss me once again. This time he was much more demanding, threading one hand into my carefully styled hair and gripping my thigh with the other. It wasn't until he suddenly slid me off his lap and into the chair next to him that I registered the sound of someone walking in to the library. He winked at me as he picked up a book and pretended to read, and I did the same as James walked in. By the time he rounded the corner and reached us, we looked as proper as proper could be.

"Your Highness, our lady the Queen is expecting you." Edward glanced at his watch and sighed.

"I am a bit late. Thank you, James. Seems I got lost in something." He waved the book before setting it down, but when James wasn't looking he winked at me again before following him out of the room.

Alice huffed indignantly when I ventured to her room without a ring, though I waved her off as I helped her pack. She insisted that he probably would have asked if James hadn't interrupted us. I told her that whatever was going to happen would happen on its own time.

I woke up the next morning ready to help Alice pack some more. However, instead I was invited to a private breakfast with the Queen. A fiercely proud Mirene and Sophie made me up in a gorgeous floral set that was elegant and stylish, and then I was off.

When I arrived, the Queen sat at a round breakfast table with Carlisle, Esme, and a beaming Edward. A butler escorted me to a seat next to Edward, who stood, pulled it out and sat me himself. We all turned to the Queen, who greeted me with a polite smile then waved to Carlisle. Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Principessa Isabella, it has been an absolute delight having you here in England. Your kindness and compassion to our family as we were grieving, your poise and your elegance in how you comport yourself even when nobody is watching, and your demonstrated interest and understanding of our political system are all quite admirable. And I do believe that you and Edward have formed a sort of mutual attachment to each other."

As he spoke, Edward grasped my hand under the table, gently massaging my fingers. When he mentioned our "mutual attachment" I could feel myself getting pinker, even as Carlisle exchanged a soft glance with Esme.

"What my husband means to say darling, is that we've spoken to your parents, and we would absolutely love to welcome you into our family. With Her Majesty's blessing, we believe that you will make a tremendous Queen of Great Britain." I paused for a moment, failing to contain the smile that was spreading across my face. I turned to face Edward, who was beaming as he looked back to me, still gripping my hand between both of his. Then we both turned to look at the Queen, who wore a soft smile.

"Principessa Isabella, I look forward to making your acquaintance as I transition my throne over to you. We will, of course, do our best to prepare you to support Edward as he ascends the throne." That was all she said, and then immediately I was swept into conversation about the proposal.

"Edward, are you sure a public proposal is for the best?" Esme asked, as Edward described what he envisioned. He wanted to do it in St. James' Park, something simple and tasteful with limited press invited to capture the occasion. That way, he reasoned, we could immediately speak to the press and satisfy their curiosity and also have photographs of the event to keep forever.

"Mother, either way we will have to answer questions, the press will want pictures, there will be pandemonium. We ought to make the most of it. Be…Principessa, don't you think our future princes and princesses would love to see old newspaper clippings of their parents getting engaged, not just pictures?"

I blushed as he almost called me Bella in front of the Queen, and then even harder as the implication of his words sank in.

"I'm sure they would." I acquiesced.

"Oh, let them have a little fun, Esme." The Queen shocked me by reaching out to gently pat Esme on the hand. Esme smiled and nodded.

"Principessa, that simply means you'll have to wait one day longer to see your ring. Edward selected it himself from the royal treasury and I think it is stunning."

From there, the conversation relaxed as food was served. Though he was on my left, next to the Queen, Edward kept my hand clasped in his the entire time, eating with his left hand despite the raised eyebrows from his father. After breakfast we were both taken away to meet with someone. Edward to sit in on political meetings, and me to meet with a decorum coach who was "incredibly pleased" to find my manners and comportment "mostly up to par." After her, I met with a diplomacy guide who introduced himself as "the man who'll be lecturing you about English political history and diplomatic relations until you feel you've lived through it all yourself."

I wasn't released until lunch time, which was our typical lunch time crew. Edward and his parents didn't bring up our engagement so neither did I, the conversation mostly revolving around Alice and Jasper's departure in two days, and their wedding plans. After lunch I was once again speaking with Sir Jason my diplomacy trainer, as we moved from Southern European relations to northern. I wasn't dismissed until after dinner, when Edward personally escorted me to my room. Before I could enter, he dismissed the lingering maid and then kissed me against the door, one forearm braced on the wall, the other hand firmly grasping my behind in a way I wouldn't have expected to like as much as I did. He stopped as suddenly as he'd started, wishing me a good night with a wink and a last peck on the lips. I couldn't hold in my smile at the bounce in his step as he walked away down the hall.

As I sank into bed, I knew that I should call my parents, tell Alice, call Emmett, Rosalie, or even Angela. But, I had no desire to. For now, it was a secret that I was overjoyed to hold in my heart.

The next day I was woken up by Mirene and Sophie, who were joined by a small blonde woman I didn't recognize. Elyse, they informed me, was one of the stylists kept on retainer by the royal team. While she had no intention – or really authority – to displace Mirene and Sophie, she was there to be sure that my looks adhered to the monarchy's strict royal standards. I didn't mind an addition to the team, thought it was clear Mirene was a bit put out. Whatever conversation they needed to have was had before I woke up, because they had three possible outfit choices already lined up for me. After a long shower to soften my nails, Sophie started my hair in on a deep condition and then got to work buffing and polishing my nails. Mirene snapped photos for my social media, as Elyse reminded me about Great Britain's ban on royal social media accounts. By the next evening, it was expected that all my accounts would be gone. I had never been so relieved.

After my toes were done and Sophie was finished buffing and shaping my fingernails, she put my hands in some sort of treatment while she got to my hair. Before I could even ask, Elyse reminded me that every single news station invited to the event would want close-up pictures of the ring on my hand. My hair was rinsed, set in curlers, and put under heat before Sophie got back to my hands. Carefully freeing my hands – which admittedly did look softer – before applying a strange sort of polish that she assured me would be indestructible. Altogether, it was over an hour before we moved on to my clothing. Mirene and Elyse presented me with three options. The third dress, the one I loved, was a very simple, very beautiful half-sleeve white lace gown. It was simple and elegant and yet still flirty.

I didn't miss Mirene exchanging a somewhat smug look with Elyse before Sophie had me close my eyes so she could start my makeup. Mirene took over my hair, freeing it from the heat, and gently removing curlers. When everything was said and done, it seemed like a lot of effort to make me look very naturally stunning. My cheeks were rosy, my lashes were long and dark, my lips were soft and pink, but beneath that my cheekbones and nose were very well defined and something Sophie had done had made my eyes seem bigger. When everything was finished, I took one last moment to thank everyone following me for wanting to be a part of my journey, and then I was escorted to the front.

The goal was for some discretion in our travel, so instead of a marked limousine I was to be taken to the park in an unmarked black car. To my surprise, Edward was already waiting inside, and he groaned as he saw me.

"I've been told I cannot touch you until our first round of pictures, love." Edward sighed, staring at me. I couldn't help staring back. I'd expected them to put him in a suit and tie, but the look was more relaxed than I'd expected. Instead of being buttoned up, he wore an open blazer, slightly unbuttoned shirt, and no tie to speak of. He looked good in the gray they'd dressed him in, and I realized that not being able to kiss him was just as much a punishment for me as it was for him. As the car pulled out Edward slid towards me, making sure I was carefully settled before gently taking my hand.

"I know that you know that what I'm about to say to you out there in public has been carefully scripted and drilled into my mind." I nodded gently as Edward murmured. He took a deep breath and then turned his body to face me, staring at my face until our eyes met.

"Isabella, I truly believe that this situation, everything that has happened, was the universe taking a wrong and making it right. I never expected to form a connection with anyone I met during this process. For more than a few moments, I believed my life had, in a way, ended when my sister's did. But the way that I feel about you, I cannot imagine a world in which I know you and I don't attempt to capture your heart before any other man can try to take you from me. So, will you allow me to give you the proposal I would have given you, if we were just two people, and not bound by custom?"

I quickly nodded my head, then widened my eyes to avoid tears. Regardless of personal emotion I knew I couldn't ruin my makeup before we even arrived.

"Bella, you have taken one of the darkest times in my life and brought joy to it. You are a beautiful, captivating woman with the strongest, most compassionate heart I have even encountered. You have a brilliant mind, you keep me on my toes in every conversation we have. You embody nobility, grace, and poise. Most importantly, you have trusted me so deeply, believed in me so fully, that because of you I have worked to become a man deserving of your high esteem. You have helped me become the man that the Kingdom needs me to be. So, Principessa Isabella, will you do me the immense honor of allowing me to crown you my Queen?"

"Oh, Edward. Yes." I breathed softly, and then because I couldn't kiss him and I couldn't cry, I squeezed his hand tightly. He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing every finger and the ring finger twice. The rest of the drive he held me to him in a careful embrace, to be sure neither of us would wrinkle. It was awkward, but it was perfect.

The public proposal was lovely as well, though definitely stiffer and more formal. Edward escorted me on a leisurely stroll around the park, and I could tell from the expressions of a few of the press, they weren't quite sure why they were there. We came to a bridge, and Edward began telling me it's history as we started crossing it. Halfway through, he grabbed my hands and I knew that meant it was time. Sure enough, Edward dropped to one knee and in a clear voice with perfect diction, he venerated me as a role model for girls and women everywhere, an asset to the country, and 'the most beautiful woman in the world' – which I smiled at only because I knew that phrasing wasn't Edward's choice. He then asked me if he could have the honor of making me happy for the rest of our lives, by taking my hand in marriage.

My gasp as he pulled out the ring was genuine, because it was stunning. Old-fashioned, it was a rose gold ring with a massive pear cut diamond in the middle, and smaller emeralds the color of his eyes along the band. I started nodding as he held the box open, and then remembering what I'd been told I quickly shouted my yes, beaming at him as he slid the ring on my finger.

Then, Edward surprised me by leaping to his feet and pulling me in for a deep hug. Neither of us was a fan of PDA, but we both knew that a kiss was expected, so as Edward leaned back from the hug, he grabbed my face and pulled me in for a sweet, gentle kiss that ended almost before it began. The longer the ring was on my hand, the more aware I became that it had happened. I was officially, publicly, engaged to marry Edward. Before I could process, the press descended. We answered questions with Edward's arm firmly around my shoulders, and mine around his back. My free hand, the ring hand, was gently posed on my thigh against my dress so that anyone could get a clear picture as I spoke. Then, when Edward spoke, I looked up at him and placed the hand just-so on his chest. His breathing hitched every time I raised my hand – he'd pull me a tiny bit tighter. I knew that he wanted to be free just as badly as I did, so that we could properly celebrate.

We kissed one more time for the papers before we let, this time with my hand against Edward's jaw facing the camera for the last shots of my ring. Then Edward whisked me off the bridge, out to the car, and back into the palace in what felt like less than half the time it had taken to arrive. The second we were in our library he was on me: arms crushing me to him, mouth alternating between deep, probing kisses and open-mouthed kisses to my neck. He found the clip to pull my hair out of the half up-do it has been styled in and dug a hand into the curls before pulling me more firmly towards him with a hand on my behind. For the first time I could feel how aroused Edward was, and though most of me was consumed in the moment, part of me wondered at the fact that I had never felt that before. I marveled that I thought I could've been happy in a marriage to Jacob, when any kiss I'd ever shared with him had felt like kissing an uncle, or Emmett.

It was Edward who stopped things, one hand hovering mere centimeters under my bust line.

"I do not mean to disrespect you, Principessa." Edward's voice was deeper, which only made me want to push back into him. I leaned forward a bit, to see what he would do, and he audibly groaned.

"I cannot believe you are going to be my wife. You are a dream, Bella." I wasn't sure whether to smile or frown, so I did neither, pressing a kiss to his jawline. He smiled.

"We should stop. Much as I want to get lost in you, you have your duties and I have mine. Beyond that, Alice and Jasper are leaving tomorrow, and I know that you would be upset to not spend an evening saying a proper goodbye to your friend." I nodded, he was right on both counts. He led me to the door with a very gentle hand on my back, but I stopped us before we could step back out into the real world.

"Edward, you made a lot of declarations today about me, and I want to say thank you. Being here in England has changed me into a better woman than I was before, and you have been the biggest part of that. Thank you for your patience with me, and for understanding me, and still wanting to be here with me." Edward surprised me with one last quick kiss, and then kissed my forehead.

"I don't think I'll ever stop wanting to be where you are Isabella."


	16. Five Letter Word

**A/N: Oops! Left this sitting in Doc Manager, sorry guys. Thank you all so much for your reviews and kind words! I've loved writing this Bella, and I'm so glad that reading this has made you all happy too! We're winding down here, but not without a few more plot points up my sleeve. If you don't know - I'm not really a lemon writer and I probably never will be. But that doesn't mean I'm opposed to a little citrus from time to time.**

 **Keep the reviews coming - they brighten my day every time. I don't own these characters, but this plot is all mine.**

* * *

The next morning, I woke up on my own time for the first time in weeks. I sat up, stretched, and then caught sight of the ring on my finger and beamed. It was all I could do to stare at the ring and smile as the emotion of the day before welled up in me.

We'd told everyone the night before. Alice had screamed out loud, pulling both me and Edward into a hug. Tanya was smiling somewhat sadly, though her face brightened when I invited her to help me plan – my subtle way of inviting her to stay in England. His parents had congratulated us again, and then when they left the room Alice, Jasper, and Tanya had asked us all sorts of questions about the proposal and what we wanted for our future.

I had also called my family, not surprised to find that Rosalie was still staying with them in Italy. I wondered how the press, who scrutinized her every breath, had not caught on to my brother's relationship with Rosalie. But then, I also knew that the Clique was providing an excellent distraction. Cyriel had been caught in a compromising position with an Italian Duke who, while handsome, was literally twice her age. Luckily, he was divorced, but many were wondering if she was mature enough to become a mother to his fourteen-year-old daughter should the relationship last.

After relaying the news, Rosalie wished me well, as did the rest of my family. My mother immediately burst into tears on the phone, telling me how proud she was of me and that she always knew that I could do it. She called me everything under the sun, from beautiful to poised to elegant to classy and on and on and then reminded me that the royal family could still call off the engagement if I didn't stay the course. My father asked me if Edward was a good man, which I was happy to say that he was. Emmett told me that he loved me, and that he was glad I was happy.

I'd called Inez separately, and hearing her excited congratulations I was relieved to feel nothing. I was touched, and that was it. Jacob didn't get on the phone, but he passed his congratulations on through my sister and I thought that was for the best.

When I was ready to get out of bed, I sent a maid for Sophie, Mirene, and Elyse and the three of them informed me that I was going to be with Sir Jason until lunch, and most likely afterwards as well – excluding the time it would take to see Alice and Jasper off.

I didn't see Edward once that day, not even when a few of us gathered to wish Alice and Jasper a fond farewell. I found out from Esme at lunchtime that he was with Elizabeth and his new parliament all day for the rest of the month, and I probably wouldn't see him until the evenings.

That evening, after I'd studied more English history than I'd known was possible, Edward arrived at my door. No longer worried about propriety, I ushered him in and we both lay at the edge of my bed as we exchanged stories about our days. In the middle of a long rant about a particularly stubborn old man, he paused, leaned over, and kissed me.

It started off as a gentle kiss, but he wrapped his arms around me and tugged, until I ended up in his lap, knees pressed to the outside of either thigh. I was happy that I was wearing a skirt then, as I sat down and got to feel all of him beneath me. I'd never been so close to a man, and as his hands slid up under my skirt to grab me and pull me down, I couldn't help the breathy moan that escaped around his kiss.

He did it again, harder, and I clutched his shoulders harder in return. My chest pressed into his and his hands were kneading my thighs and slowly traveling higher. I broke our kiss first to take in some air and his mouth immediately went to my neck, to the top of the blouse I was wearing, and lower down – tugging my hemline down as he kissed lower and lower. As he reached the top of my bra line he paused, then pulled back.

"Isabella, I do not mean to disrespect you or push your" I silenced him with another, insistent kiss, pulling back only to whisper

"Edward, you're going to be my husband" before he pulled me back into him, hands going to my hair to press me closer to him. Slowly, he worked his way through my hair and down my back, before grabbing my thighs and sliding his hands up my skirt to pull me closer to him. I had never in my life sat so intimately, and feeling him pressed up firm between my thighs, I couldn't help pushing down a little harder. I was surprised by his low groan, and even more surprised by him gently removing me from his lap, before flopping back to stare at the ceiling.

"How Catholic are you?" He asked, and his voice was almost an octave lower, rough and throaty and intoxicating.

"Very?" I shrugged. My father is on a first name basis with the Pope, who personally baptized all three of us. And though I don't wear a rosary every day, I do go to confession at least twice a month even with my schedule.

"Well, then we better stop before I send us both to hell." Edward grinned at me wryly, and it took me a moment to catch on to what he was saying. I felt myself turn a bright red, and I lay back as well.

"Oh." I had never worried about losing my virginity with Jacob, never even thought about it. It hadn't occurred to me that I would be having sex with Edward, which in that moment felt like a ridiculous and monumental oversight on my part. Suddenly it was all I could think about, and I felt my face get warmer and warmer at the thought. I wondered about the merits of waiting; it felt almost silly to wait when it was already decided that I would marry Edward – there was truly no reversing the decision once it was announced to the public. On the other hand, some part of me liked the idea of saving that moment for when he was truly my husband – and disliked the thought of confessing sleeping with Edward to a priest. Then something Edward said struck me as odd, and I wondered if I wasn't missing his point.

"Both of us?" I asked, and turned to face Edward. He cleared his throat.

"When you grow up in the public eye, it is difficult to...trust people's intentions. I never truly, that is to say I didn't..." Edward cleared his throat again, and I decided I had to let him out of his misery.

"He would kill me for telling you this, but Emmett has the same...trust predicament that you do. When we were younger, a woman came forward and claimed to be having his child because her birth control failed. She was over a decade older than him, and crazy, but he still had to publicly state that he'd never been intimate with any woman and do a DNA test to prove that the child was not his. The child lives with his father now and the woman has been in prison for many years, but ever since then both my father and mother warned him that he could never put himself in that situation."

"That is...actually somewhat of a relief." He slumped slightly; with the mention of Emmett the moment was definitely broken.

"I don't want to leave but I should let you sleep." Edward leaned in and kissed me once, a chaste kiss – nothing like the way he'd been gripping me earlier.

"You can't stay?" I was nearly whispering. I had never shared a bed with a boy before – not even Emmett – but I wanted Edward close to me.

"I could." He nodded slowly.

"Would you?"

"I will have to be up very early, I don't want to wake you, Isabella."

"I don't mind, I'd rather have you here with me." He nodded again.

"I'm, I don't see why I couldn't stay here. I'll be – let me change out of my suit and I'll be right back." He practically raced out of my room, and I took that time to change as well – and to be absolutely sure that no maids were lingering. My bathroom was empty, as was my closet as I changed into a set of pajamas that Mirene had snuck into my closet weeks before. At the time I had questioned it, but she was right. I was glad to have something soft and feminine to wear – lace trimmed shorts and a matching camisole – rather than my usual cotton nightdresses.

Edward came back much more quickly than I expected, in a shirt and shorts, and quickly stripped off the shirt as he climbed in bed with me. We didn't do much more than sleep, but going to sleep with his arms around me, feeling him pressed into my back, was the most comfortable sleep I'd had in a long time.

The next few days flew by in a blur. Edward and I received our official invitation to Alice and Jasper's wedding, and it was exciting to receive a piece of mail addressed to both of us. I was able to persuade Angela's parents to allow her to come to England and help me prepare for my wedding, which meant that she got to meet Edward for the first time. Unfortunately, those were the only two bright spots.

It turned out, English rules on decorum are stricter than Italian rules in all areas. After Edward and I were scolded because he kissed me at a charity event, Sir Jason suggested that we not make physical contact if possible – other than polite gestures – unless necessary. Edward kept trying to remind me that once he was King we could set whatever propriety rules we wanted, but I was hesitant to push the envelope and he begrudgingly respected my wishes.

Esme was right about how often we'd see each other during the day as well. As days bled into the first few weeks, unless Edward and I had a public engagement together I saw much more of Angela, Esme, and Jason than I did of him. Except, at night. He stayed in my bed every night since the first night, even had a few sets of pajamas stored with my things. I both admired and was frustrated in his insistence that we could make it to our wedding to respect the laws of propriety but he also pushed the limits in other, interesting ways.

I quickly learned that Edward was much more accustomed to pushing the boundaries than I was. We made promises to maintain our propriety in public to his parents, Jason, and every other palace official that seemed to have a vested concern in our lives. Yet, Edward kissed me on the runway the second we landed in Germany for Alice and Jasper's wedding, and again at their reception – both long, slow kisses that made him laugh at me as I pulled away.

By the time we got home, the tabloids were all practically shouting about how I "resisted his affection" and how I was "ice cold" which Edward argued was reason that he should be able to kiss me whenever we wanted. He was outvoted though, and instead made to promise that 'while Elizabeth sat on the throne' he would follow the propriety laws she established. They reminded us that before she took the throne, even holding your partner's hand in public was looked upon poorly.

Just shy of a month after our engagement, it was finally decided that Edward knew enough about being King to take up the most tedious part of the job – the full political and social calendar. Elizabeth's engagements would all be transferred to Edward. Instead of lessons, he would sit in at all of her meetings, and attend every function that she would attend. As I was to be Queen, this applied to me as well.

Our first engagement was a charity ball, where Edward and I were color-coordinated and impeccably tailored. We made a substantial donation, but Edward still wanted us to bring money for the silent auctions that would no doubt be taking place. I was reminded that Edward was independently wealthy. Because he'd never expected to be King, he'd made several investments and real estate deals that he lived off of. It was an intriguing thought to me – Jacob's sole job was managing his father's estate, and Inez, Alice, Angela, and I were all entirely jobless. It was this personal cash that Edward intended to use to bid.

The hall was beautiful as we arrived, and we stepped out and posed for pictures before entering.

"Principessa, it is an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance." What I hadn't counted on, was that for most of the English nobility, this was their first real opportunity to meet me in a more relaxed setting. Aside from Edward's few friends that we'd gone out with, most had only seen me at ceremonial gatherings, if at all.

"What a beautiful woman, you must feel very lucky, old chap!" English men were more boisterous than I expected behind closed doors – more like Italians – and in a strange way it made me feel more comfortable than usual. Nobody had been outwardly unfriendly – not that anyone would risk it – but I was surprised by how genuine some of them were. Of course, there were the others.

"Lady Victoria, Sir Riley, let me introduce my beautiful fiancé Isabella." I could hear the smile in Edward's voice each time he introduced me that way. Riley extended a hand to kiss mine, lingering longer than I felt was strictly necessary. I offered them both a polite smile, as Victoria brushed Edward's shoulder.

"I cannot believe you're getting married, Edward. You poor dear, and so young." Victoria's voice was soft and high, her red hair pin straight and slicked back. She didn't so much as glance at me as she stared at Edward.

"You're only a few years older than him, dear." Riley laughed, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her almost roughly into him. I wondered if he was drunk. She gently detached herself from his arm, but made no move to step away from him.

"Yes, and not yet married." They exchanged a tense look while I subdued my shock at the revelation that they were not married, then Victoria laughed.

"Well, not for lack of effort, I've had too many men buzzing around me, I'm sure you can relate dear." Victoria finally looked at me, glancing through me with a shrug. "Or, not you. Though one might say it is not quantity but quality, right Principessa? From a Duchess to a Queen is quite the upgrade."

"Edward is quite the upgrade, regardless of his title. You're right, I cannot relate with men, buzzing, as you said. I am very lucky and very grateful." I wasn't sure if I was reading her correctly – if she meant to be rude or if she was as drunk as Riley and trying to make conversation. Victoria laughed, slipping her arm back through Riley's.

"You have such an innocent air about you, Principessa. Such a lady." Her smile and tone said it was a compliment, but her eyes flicked back to Edward again.

"Mmm, Bella, dearest, have I introduced you to the Duke of Lipshire?" There was no such title. Edward had already told me that he used the fake title to escape some of these conversations because all someone would remember was the shire, or they'd think they misheard and would be too scared to ask. In this case, we didn't wait for either of them to respond.

"Oh, no Edward, not yet" I answered with a smile, and he whisked us away.

"Is she always like that?"

"Victoria has always been one of the few in our circle who has never given me nor my sister the time of day. She's a year or two older than Kate and has effectively carried her family's title since she was my age, because her father mostly gambles and her mother lives in Monaco. This is the most she has ever spoken to me, and I hate to suggest it, but she seemed highly intoxicated."

"Is she always with Riley?"

"Hardly. Victoria will die with her title, I doubt she'll ever marry and risk it going to someone else, even to share with a husband."

"Oh." I said softly, not sure what else to say. I knew women like that, and I pitied Riley if he had set his eyes on her. Then I thought of the way he had clung to my hand, and changed my mind.

That was the last we spoke of her that night, focusing instead on enjoying the event. Edward, especially enjoyed pulling me into dark corners to sneak unnoticed kisses.

Unfortunately, though Edward had no recollection of her being particularly social, we saw Victoria at just about every social event we were at. She appeared at a polo match, where she tried to leave me with Riley and have Edward escort her to the bar. She came to a tennis match and hovered around us even though she was sitting nowhere near us. She was irritatingly and increasingly forward, but I knew that I had nothing to truly worry about. Edward was more irritated than I was, especially by her high-pitched baby voice that he swore she didn't have the last time he'd spoken with her.

Of course it was disrespectful, but as we moved into wedding planning an annoying woman was the least of my concerns. I hadn't realized how much tradition went into English royal weddings. Of course we had our tradition in Italy, but there was still room for the bride and the groom. Apparently, England was not at all the same. I was sat down and told the details that I was allowed to change, and they were very few. My dress, my maid of honor, the more intimate details were up to me. Everything else, a carefully selected committee would take care of.

That kept the bulk of my attention, resulting in many venting sessions between myself, Angela, and Tanya – who was taking the role of being involved in my wedding planning very seriously. The afternoon after I was told that me choosing an Italian designer might be taken as a statement against England, I was looking forward to a charity polo match being thrown for a hospital wing opening. However, my mood quickly soured as I saw a familiar flash of red hair just as Edward was pulled away from me into a conversation.

I sat calmly with Carlisle and Esme and attempted not to let my rapidly worsening mood be contagious. So, I was surprised when it was Edward who came storming up to us and slid into his seat moodily, grasping my hand in his almost painfully tight and raising it to his lips.

"Edward, comportment." Carlisle gently chastised, and Edward's eyes narrowed.

"If you knew the insult I just had to –" Edward cut himself off abruptly, shaking his head.

"Edward, if someone has said something to you, we have appropriate channels to have them dealt with."

"What is the appropriate channel for a woman that has asked me to be my mistress?" Edward turned to his father with the most caustic look I'd ever seen him wear. In that moment he looked dangerous, and I felt a thrill race up my spine.

"Oh, Edward." Esme sighed, but Edward cut her off with a shake of his head.

"She'll need to be shunned, there is no other way. For her family's sake I wouldn't make this public but this is unacceptable." Carlisle frowned deeply.

"I had no idea she was bothering you so much." I finally spoke up, laying a hand on his shoulder. Edward grabbed my hand and kissed my palm with a wry smile.

"Bother me so much? Bella it is ridiculously insulting to you for her to even suggest what she has been suggesting, let alone say it outright. I am trying to create space and protect your comfort." I stared at Edward wide-eyed and couldn't help a slight laugh. Esme gave a small smile, but both Edward and Carlisle looked baffled.

"It seems we've missed the joke, son." Carlisle glanced between me and Esme, then glanced at Edward.

"It's not a joke, but Edward I cannot expect you to shun every woman who…you're a very attractive man, Edward. She absolutely crossed a line and went too far, but I'm sure her own embarrassment at being rejected will save her in the future. I'm not sure you realize the blessing it is just to know that I have your full attention Edward, because most Queens don't get such certainty." I smiled again, and Esme patted Carlisle's hand.

Edward and Carlisle didn't necessarily understand, but me calling Edward attractive and desirable seemed to have taken some of his attention. It wouldn't have been ridiculous for us to shun Victoria – families had been shunned for less. But a formal shunning would mean that Victoria could not attend any event that Edward and I planned to attend, and that could get so tedious.

To me, it wasn't worth it.


	17. Frustration

**A/N: So, this is fun! This will be a long note today. First, my apologies. A few weeks ago, I went to the hospital. Long story short I'm fine now, but that plus some resulting complications led me to decide I needed a brief break from a few things in life. But I'm back now in full health and ready to go!**

 **That being said, a few of you reached out in response to Bella being Catholic in the last chapter, and the historical inaccuracies of this as Edward would be Anglican. First, it's interesting that some people think that in all the research that I did for this story, the issue of faith never came up. However, I deliberately chose not to formally address this in this story.**

 **First, the details of conversion don't make for a super exciting plot point, in my option. I didn't think that anyone would care to read about Bella preparing to convert to Anglicanism and renounce the Catholic church. People erroneously told me that Bella wouldn't be able to become the Queen. She would – if she converted to Anglicanism. And in today's day and age, where most people are somewhat transient in their faiths, this would most likely literally amount to her formally converting to and being re-baptized as an Anglican and then continuing to privately seek confession or attend catholic mass when back in Italy. While the Pope may not love the idea of her converting, I find it unrealistic that the religious fervor of the 1600's that would've prevented an Italian King from wanting his daughter to convert, would still be an issue in 2015.**

 **And honestly, the idea of Kings and Queens, Princes, and Princesses still existing in 2015 is already incredibly fantastical. Yes, I'm trying to make it as realistic as possible. But there are several details in this story that just don't line up to the real world. That's okay. It's a story. If it's too unrealistic for you as a reader, I totally respect that. But I drew my lines between realism and creative liberties very purposefully to tell what I hope is an entertaining story.**

 **It's also really interesting to see how differently many of you react to Isabella. Some of you think she's classy and taking the high road, others think she's being an idiot. I definitely see both sides, but it's really entertaining reading all of your comments! Sorry for the super long author's note, now enjoy!**

* * *

Wedding planning ramped up quickly and disappointingly. As we entered the 2 month window before Edward and I were marry, there was more and more to go over, but less and less to actually approve. Our wedding party – all children except for two people who would stand with us – was hand selected by a royal team to carefully include and exclude certain families to build and strengthen political ties within the country. One Italian family – the two youngest grandchildren of my father's right-hand man – was included for politics' sake.

I did love getting to select my dress. I had Alice back from her honeymoon, Angela up from Italy, Tanya who was surprisingly involved with the planning, my mother, and my sister. We tried on dress after dress, until I was worried that there would be no "the" dress. But then I found it: hand-picked by Mirene, sleek, and absolutely stunning. It was Italian in the end, but I put my foot down and left it up to the royal press secretariat to determine how to turn that into a positive.

There were no wedding colors to choose – everything would be red and white to honor the flag, with gentle touches of blue where appropriate. There was no location to choose, the only site they felt comfortable securing was St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. There were no invitees to select – the invite list was the most political part of it all, and both my father's people and Edward's people had carefully and thoroughly debated the invite list and seating arrangements down to "perfection." The only enjoyment I got out of that was the Italian party gently explaining to the English party why Phillip absolutely had to be invited, absolutely could not be seated anywhere near the Italian royal family, and yet had to be in direct eyeline of my mother.

The invites themselves were tasteful and classic and boring even to me. The date had been selected since before Edward had even chosen a bride, so there were no save-the-dates to send. The reception had its own invite list that was nearly double in size, with every royal family in Europe invited. I was a bit thankful for the team that was brought in to coordinate RSVPs, working full-time to confirm yes's and no's efficiently and update and redesign the seating charts accordingly. They would be cataloguing our gifts – though we'd requested charitable donations as gifts – and sending out the appropriate thank you cards. A separate team would be handling the mailed gifts from the Commonwealth and sending those gift responses.

The flowers were to be red roses and white lilies, symbolizing the union of England and Italy. Edward would be wearing his red coat royal dress uniform. I was to wear Elizabeth's wedding tiara as a sign that she had approved my taking on her mantle. The music for both events would be live, classical music – though Edward did persuade them that Latin classical needed to be included as well.

Throughout it all, I did my best to keep calm and happy, and remember that the prize at the end would be marrying Edward. When it was announced that someone had already booked us on a tour of the full Commonwealth for our honeymoon, I quashed my disappointment that we wouldn't be traveling Asia, as I'd always wanted to. When Tanya was extended an invitation to be my maid of honor with nobody checking in with me first, I welcomed her into my bridal party and insisted Angela be seated with my parents as an apology.

However, 6 weeks out and thirty minutes into a discussion of the order of the ceremony, I finally reached my breaking point.

"Yes, then after the King has given Isabella away, and we've moved through the traditional sermon, we'll go to the vows."

"Which will be…?"

"Edward and I wanted to –" "Classic, of course."

"Excuse me?" Every mouth clicked shut at the tone of my voice, three older women turning to stare at me with raised eyebrows.

"Isabella?" Evangeline, the senior most woman on the team often seemed to forget her manners when Edward or Esme were not in the room. Esme had woken up under the weather, and Edward was in a meeting, leaving me to discuss the procession of the ceremony.

"Principessa." I corrected her with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course, Principessa. Is there a problem?"

"I was not aware that Edward and I had decided to share classic vows."

"Well, we hardly need to have a speech writer for your vows, when we already have a few working with your families on their toasts."

"Edward and I would both prefer to write our own vows."

"Isabell, this is too short of –" "Principessa." I corrected her again, more firmly.

"Yes, Principessa. We are planning a royal English wedding, the future king and queen. Your vows will be recorded in history. Classic vows are –"

"Not what Edward and I want."

"Well I'm sure Edward –" "His Royal Highness" "I'm sure our Prince would much rather –"

"No." Evangeline and I were staring at each other, the other two women entirely forgotten.

"Perhaps we should revisit this when emotions are not running so high." The last time Evangeline had said that, she'd then approached Edward without me and deliberately misled him about my concerns. Her meddling was how we would end up with swan folded napkins at each seat at our reception: never mind that Cigna is our last name chosen at random, and not at all the Italian honorific she told Edward that it was. Furious, I knew that I needed time to process and speak to Edward without her being involved. To be fair, I wasn't sure if I was overreacting due to the list of no's I'd been hearing for over a month.

"You're right, Evangeline. You're all dismissed."

"Dismissed?"

"We are finished for the day, Edward has too many meetings. Tomorrow, you, Edward, Esme, and I can all discuss our vows."

"Tomorrow is for the cake, and the final catering menu."

"I'm sure you'll find the best use of our time tomorrow to finish the ceremony and select cake and menu."

"But Isabella –" "Lovely conversation as usual, ladies. I'll see you tomorrow." I stood then, turned, and left. If Evangeline had any issue, she could take it up with Elyse, who had somehow appointed herself my de Facto secretary rather than an image consultant. Elyse was afraid to upset me and vain about her position, and I knew both of those things would drive her to keep Evangeline in check. I didn't dislike Evangeline, not truly, but she was stuffy and bossy and getting on my last nerve.

"Have you seen Gian Carlo?" I asked a maid as I strode from the room. Within the castle he no longer felt the need to be by my side at all times, if I was within the residential quarters. But he would be expecting me to be in that meeting for at least another hour.

"No, shall I send for him?" I didn't know the girl's name but she knew exactly who I was speaking about. I shook my head.

"Not necessary." I started to walk away when the girl cleared her throat.

"Miss, umm, your Highness. I'm very excited for you to be Queen." She called out. When I turned, she smiled, curtseyed, and hurried away before I could thank her. I let the sweet sentiment wash over me, easing some of the frustration I felt.

Stepping into my room, I decided that what I really needed was a walk and some fresh air to clear my head. I changed out of what I'd been dressed in that morning, and into a simple, casual outfit. It wasn't often that I wore jeans – especially not since I'd been announced as Edward's fiancé – and they almost felt foreign as I slipped them on. Adding some sneakers, a soft cotton blouse, and a hoodie I almost didn't feel like myself. But I didn't want any of the staff seeing me and immediately paging Gian Carlo.

To my surprise when I got down the garden, I found it was open to the public that day. Still, I slipped into the small crowd that was walking around. There were posted guards all throughout the garden that would immediately come to my aid if I called them.

The gardens were beautiful despite the dawning fall, and I knew it would probably be one of our last gorgeous days before everything began to wilt. I smiled as I walked through. It was mostly mothers with young children, or older people walking through. There were a few tourists; I'd heard that as the wedding approached, we were getting an influx of tourists who were excited about the wedding festivities. Apparently bars and restaurants had already begun celebrating, which was exciting. Despite some nasty words in the press, it did seem that most of the English public truly was excited about me becoming Queen.

A flash of red hair caught my eye, and I was shocked to see Victoria herself speaking to one of the guards near a private entrance. I walked over, intending to greet her, until I got close enough to hear what she was saying.

"I know that you can hear me, and that you can respond. I have an appointment with the royal family, and they are expecting me. I need you to bring me inside so that I will not be late. Anyone who is anyone in that building can verify my identity."

There was a distinct lack of her high-pitch, honeyed tone as she practically hissed at a guard who did not even turn his face to look at her. I was torn between stepping in and getting involved, and quietly walking away. As far as I knew, nobody would be making an appointment with Victoria after everything that had happened. But she had backed off after Edward had rebuffed her, and he'd told me she'd attempted at one point to make an appointment to apologize.

She decided for me, storming away from the guard with a huff and stepping behind a bush to take a phone call. I wandered past, stopping just out of her line of sight to see what else she was going to do. If she was on the line with someone within the palace, then I would help her get in. She was very high on my list of least favorite people, but I was going to be her Queen too.

"Hello, yes. Now is truly not the best time. Yes, I still need your services."

"Yes, I've tried, but they won't take my calls. I hardly expected a man who was a comfortable bachelor less than a year ago to turn down free sex. Look, he couldn't before he was married, Katherine was the same way. But now that he will be married, he should know that he can do whatever he likes. He will be King. I don't think he realizes."

"Yes, I realize what I am paying you for. You said that I moved too early, I see that now. I scared him off. Honestly, it's a miracle I was still invited to the reception. But a man who's waited his entire life to have sex is going to be expanding his horizons very soon. I just need to be sure that I'm not passed up."

"I understand that it would be better if I apologized to the family first and rebuilt that rapport but they clearly aren't prepared to hear it yet. It's fine. If you carry out your end of the deal, I'll carry out mine. Don't worry about how."

"Honestly you're making this sound more dramatic than it is. For heaven's sake drugging a royal is practically the done thing these days – look at that Swedish princess."

"Exactly. Now, I must be going. Goodbye." Victoria cleared her throat and stepped forward, and I shrank into the bush, my mind spinning. I had to have misunderstood her. I had to. Because those fragments of conversation couldn't be suggesting what I thought that they were.

Stunned, I stepped out in the opposite direction of Victoria, heading back towards the palace. As I approached the door I lowered my hood, and I was immediately recognized and ushered indoors.

"Principessa, are you alright?" Someone was at my elbow, and I realized that I must look as confused as I felt.

"I'm..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. The woman at my elbow guided me into a chair, and what felt like seconds later James strode into the room.

"Have you had a fainting spell?" He asked, staring down at me.

"Where is Gian Carlo?" I asked. James huffed, sitting across from me. In all the time I'd spent with Edward, I'd never been alone with his security. Like Gian Carlo, James faded into the background.

"I do not know; I would assume that he would be with you. But then, I'd heard you're fond of giving him the slip." It clicked then, that James was the person most responsible for Edward's safety. He'd want to know what I'd overheard.

"Clear the room." I said, staring at him. Immediately people shuffled to get out of the room, until it was just me and James.

"Principessa?" He asked, leaning forward somewhat.

"Do you know who Victoria is, Lady Victoria of –"

"Yes, I'm familiar."

"Well, she was in the garden today insisting that one of the royal family had an appointment with her. I didn't think that it was true, but as I went to approach her, she stepped away behind a bush and took a phone call and I believe that she is going to try to drug Edward at our wedding reception."

I expected shock, or confusion, or action from James. What I didn't expect was for him to frown at me as though I was a disobedient child and lean back in his seat.

"What, exactly, did she say?"

"She said that she couldn't believe Edward would turn down free sex, and she would carry out her end of the deal, and that drugging a royal was practically common these days, and that he'd be expanding his horizons soon and she refused to be passed up."

"Do you know who she was on the phone with?"

"No."

"I see. And those statements were all made together like that?"

"Well, throughout the duration of her conversation. But it's not as though this was an hours long conversation. It was maybe 5 minutes." James huffed, setting his mouth in a thin line and closing his eyes briefly, then raising to his full height in his chair and staring down at me.

"Isabella, I must ask you if you truly want to do this. Cause a mass hysteria over a rumor and some insecurity."

"Excuse me?"

"You must understand, that in addition to protecting Edward's body I have also tasked myself with protecting his reputation. Edward has always been seen as level-headed, a gentleman. Ousting a woman of noble English standing from his wedding, based on a rumor from his Italian fiancé, would be a substantial threat to that reputation."

"You believe I'm lying."

"No, of course not, Princess. You are of course trustworthy, but I believe that you did not follow a woman through a garden in disguise because she poses no threat to you. And I believe that whatever you think you heard; it is easy to jump to the worst conclusions about something that you overheard from someone that you do not trust." If his tone had been haughty, arrogant, I would've dismissed him. But there was concern, beneath a layer of derision.

"I am not some jealous, petty child."

"That is not what I'm saying, Princess. Not at all. But I implore you to think of what you're suggesting. This is a woman who, until recently barely spoke to Edward. Now she is suddenly so enamored of him that, despite not speaking to him once in the past month she's suddenly desperate enough to drug him? At his wedding, no less? How would she even get him alone?"

"I don't know her plans, but I know what I heard."

"If it will make you feel better, how about I investigate the threat? I will speak to her, intimidate her a bit, and we shall see what her response is. If she comes clean, then I owe you an apology, Princess."

"I..." The conversation had gone in the exact opposite direction than I'd anticipated. I wondered if James could be right, if I was somehow believing the worst of Victoria because I already believed the worst of her.

"Princess, I don't believe I need to mince words with you. Right now, your popularity is very mixed in England. In some circles you are beloved. You are a beautiful woman, very classy, and you hold yourself to a very high standard. On the other hand, you can come across as reserved to the point of coldness, and more than one noble has felt empowered to gossip to the press about how you pull away from Edward's touch."

"Because we're following the rules!" I hated that I defended myself to him, I knew better. But hearing gossip about myself from someone so close to Edward hit differently, even though he was truly telling me facts that I already knew.

"And most of the press thinks it's charming, that you're very innocent and proper. But it's a fine line. And if word gets out that you've pushed Victoria out of your social circle so close to the wedding, the speculation will be that it's not because of a genuine threat, but because you are threatened by her. Charming innocence is very easily construed into jealous coldness and bitterness."

I searched his face, but there was no anger, no guile. James was telling me his honest perception. And though I was somewhat insulted, my biggest priority was Edward's safety.

"Alright." I acquiesced. At the end of the day, I knew that James could be trusted to do what was best for Edward.

"As I said, Princess, if I see reason for concern, I will let you and Edward know immediately, and notify the full royal security team. The threat will be eliminated. But that brings me to my last request."

"Yes?"

"Please, do not tell Edward your concerns until I have vetted them. He is nearly irrational when it comes to you. He will want to react because he does not want to see you threatened, and then there will be nothing I can do subtly to manage the potential threat."

"I understand." I said. In this, James wasn't wrong. I knew that if I told Edward what I suspected he would bring back his insistence on shunning Victoria, and I also knew that it was too late. Shunning her while she was trying to apologize would be gauche.

The more time passed from my hearing the conversation, the less sure I was of what I'd assumed, too. Even my own mother had referred to the situation in Sweden, not to support drugging someone but to refuse me access to college. She could've been referring to anything. And it was crazy, as James had pointed out, for her to assume that she could get Edward alone before the worst of it all.

However, keeping my suspicions a secret from Edward took even more joy out of the wedding planning. Edward backed my insistence at the two of us writing out own vows, and that I should get to vet the applications of women to be my lady in waiting moving forward. But consumed with doubts and waiting for a word from James, I didn't have any fight left to insist on confetti being thrown or any of the other various Italian traditions that weren't deemed necessary for the ceremony.

We went with a simple five course dinner menu that, at Edward's insistence not my own, included an Italian-themed amuse-bouche and dessert course. We chose our signature cocktail – The Swan and the Lion, based on Edward's preference for gin and my preference for champagne, but it was the team who chose the final recipe. Because a millefoglie would serve as the dessert course for the meal, our wedding cake was to be a simple, traditional three-tier fruitcake.

When over two weeks had passed with no word from James, our wedding only three weeks away, I knew that the threat must have come to nothing. I didn't miss the decisions I hadn't made then; I was too busy being excited. In three weeks, I would be marrying Edward. Without the pomp and circumstance, ignoring the décor and the tradition and the lavishness, I was so excited to marry him. As I woke up next to him nearly every morning, I let my anxiety fade away to giddiness at the thought that Edward was to truly be my husband.


	18. A Problem

**A/N: I knew the last chapter wouldn't be popular, but wow you guys were really mad! I'm not going to say that I don't get it, because Bella's behavior and choices were *super* frustrating to read - they were frustrating to write. But I'm not a needless drama or shock-and-awe type of author. I'm never going to have cheating between my main characters, and if I don't even write lemons I'm *definitely* not going to include a rape scene as a needless plot point just to create tension in a story! I'm honestly pretty shocked some of you went there! Without getting too into it, this story has always been about Bella's internalized self-doubt, and up until now she's never had to directly face consequences for that.**

 **So read on, and don't sue me for borrowing these characters to fuel my plot.**

* * *

Just over two weeks before the wedding, plans were finally finalized, and Edward and I were told that it was time to discuss my transition to becoming a fully fledged member of the English royal family. Because Edward had no heirs as of yet, rather than me becoming the Princess Consort, I would be fully stepping into the mantle of Queen of England. The day after we got the go ahead, Gian Carlo and I were escorted into a meeting with a man named Alistair.

"Good Morning, Principessa." I was surprised at the look of the man who greeted me, tall and broad-shouldered in a pristine black suit, and doubly surprised when Gian Carlo warmly greeted him.

"Principessa Isabella, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alistair Blackthorne, and I am the head of security for the royal family." He gave a low bow, and then gestured me forward into a seat.

"Principessa, I have been speaking with Gian Carlo and we both felt it would be best to transition you now and allow you to make your own decisions. It is my understanding that currently, your security detail is managed solely by Gian Carlo?"

"Oh, yes."

"In England, we have a more centralized system. I manage all security for the royal family, though members of my team manage the physical guarding of each of its members. Now, Gian Carlo has expressed that he would have no problem coming under my authority if you would like to keep him, but regardless of what happens in the transition I would want you to feel comfortable coming to me for all major security decisions."

"Oh, that is different. I never noticed, to be honest. I always assumed that you have the same personal structure here in England, with how James manages Edward's security. Gian Carlo are you sure that you wouldn't mind –"

"Principessa, I beg your forgiveness for cutting you off. May I ask what you meant by your comment?"

"Well, I know that one of the first times we spoke James told me and the other Principessas that if we ever had questions or concerns, we should come to him. Maybe it was an assumption on my part, but I took that to mean that he had the same control over Edward's security as Gian Carlo has over mine."

"If I may, Principessa." Gian Carlo jumped in, and with a nod to me he turned to Alistair.

"I believe that James may have felt uncomfortable with the presence of myself as well as Klaus, Principessa Tanya's security, as both of us have the same executive authority. It was not until a few days in, when we were formally introduced, that I realized I had been somewhat mislead. He refers to himself as Edward's chief security, not his bodyguard"

"James is somewhat of a self-starter, so knowing him that was a deliberate deception, most likely to make himself feel important next to you Gian Carlo. Just know, Principessa, that anyone who ever guards you until I am removed or retire from this position, will report directly to me. Luckily you've had no security threats to report, but if any issues do arise in future, you can trust that if it is relayed to Gian Carlo, I will find out and we will decide how best to approach the situation."

Immediately I became uncomfortable, feeling gooseflesh prick across my skin. I was silent for a long moment as I glanced between Alistair and Gian Carlo, who seemed to notice my discomfort as a tension suddenly settled in the room.

"What do you mean, no security threats?" I asked finally.

"Oh, I know that you've had issues when you go out in public, but I meant –"

"And the situation with Victoria." I cut him off with a frown, glancing to Gian Carlo.

"I was told that you had decided not to respond to Victoria's propositioning Edward, though she has been temporarily blocked from visiting the palace as Edward has requested space."

"Yes, until the phone conversation I overheard." My brow furrowed, even as the truth started to click into place.

"Phone conversation?"

"Did James not tell you, Alistair, that I heard a conversation that made me feel Victoria may be attempting to drug Edward?"

"Excuse me?" Unlike James, Alistair was immediately alert, leaning forward. He cleared his throat once, twice, and then asked.

"If I may, what did you overhear from Lady Victoria Howard that made you believe she would attempt to poison the Prince. And, what and when did you relay to James Connor?"

I told him everything, pieced together bit by bit as I remembered the details. As I relayed my conversation between myself and James, a cloud settled over Alistair's eyes though he fought to keep the patient smile on his face.

"I see." He said, when I'd finished telling what I heard. Then he asked "And how did you come to tell James?" I started explaining, watching him give up on the tight smile.

"…then James advised me that the threat would be looked into, and to avoid alarming Edward or the royal family until he could verify the validity of the threat. I would have told Gian Carlo, but James wasn't wrong when he said that my dislike of Victoria may be clouding my judgment, so I thought with everything else going on it would make sense to wait until James had followed up."

"And out of curiosity, did James follow up with you?"

"No, so I assumed the threat was taken care of." At that, Alistair sighed heavily.

"Principessa please forgive me, but do you have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever? I understand not wanting to alarm the royal family, but has James ever given you reason to believe that he should be so deeply trusted, as to ignore your own instincts?"

"I trust Gian Carlo with my life. I've spent more time with him than I have with my own father. I thought James was the same."

"Even so Principessa, I beg of you, in the future, any threats should be escalated to as many people as possible until someone takes you seriously. As is, I will immediately assign someone more reliable to guard Edward, as well as to investigate Lady Victoria while James is brought in for questioning and hears the terms of his release."

"I didn't intend to get James in trouble."

"His actions got him in trouble, Principessa. You are not responsible for his actions. And furthermore, he had better hope for the sake of his career and his life, that my investigation into Victoria yields no leads. I also believe that you do absolutely need to tell Edward, as soon as I call him in. He'll want to know why I'm reassigning his security and that should come from you. Your heart was in the right place Principessa, I do believe that. But Edward is to be the King of England, your King. You cannot undermine him by keeping him in the dark."

I nodded, fighting to hold my posture and resist sinking into my seat. I turned over Alistair's words as he stood and motioned Gian Carlo over, presumably to discuss what would happen next. As I thought it over, I realized that Alistair was right. I was a Principessa, but rather than believing in what I'd heard, I'd allowed James to cow me into not saying anything to anyone for fear of – I struggled to understand what I was so afraid of. I hadn't wanted anyone to think that I was being immature or catty or dramatic. I needed Alice, to talk me through what I was thinking, or even Rosalie, but I only had my own thoughts as I puzzled over why and how I'd let James silence me so easily and completely.

"Bella, love?" Edward walked into the room, alone, and from the look of confusion on his face I could tell that Alistair had kept his word and not told him anything yet.

"Edward, I have something to tell you." Edward immediately took a seat next to me, gripping one of my hands in his and kissing it absentmindedly.

"What's wrong?" I thought it would be difficult to tell him, but the story spilled out immediately. How I'd seen Victoria in the garden, how I'd intended to let her in – Edward let go of my hand as I confessed that and stared at me with a raised eyebrow. How I'd overheard her, how I'd told James, what he said and how I'd reacted. Right before my eyes I could see Edward shut down as he processed, staring at me with a mixture of shock and disappointment. I knew that look of disappointment well – I'd seen it from my mother enough times to read it immediately, and I finally wilted seeing it on Edward.

"I don't even know where to begin with what you've just told me." Edward's face morphed into something unreadable.

"Would you ever have told me? Say our wedding passed without incident, would you have told me then?"

"I don't know." I said honestly. Edward nodded.

"Do you love me? Truly, Isabella." Of all the scenarios I could have thought of, I would never have thought of that one.

"Edward, of course I love you. I, I know I am not vocal and I can be better but I – I have never loved a single living person like I love you."

"But you do not trust me. And you do not think me capable."

"Of course I do!"

"I" he breathed out deeply, staring at the table rather than looking at me.

"I struggle to believe that. Regardless of what James told you, if you trusted me and thought me to be a capable man, I do not understand why you would have kept this from me."

"Edward, I was just trying to be obedient, this had nothing, I promise you, nothing to do with how I see you or what I think of you."

"Obedient to who!" Edward raised his voice, snapped his jaw shut, took several deep breaths, and then opened his mouth to speak, all without looking at me.

"You are about to be a Queen, Isabella, and my wife. James is a bodyguard. The idea that you would have to obey anyone, especially him, is laughable. But you did obey him, because he told you that I would spin out and be out of control with the news, and you believed him. What do you want me to believe about what that says you think of me?"

I realized in that moment, that Edward and I had never once argued, disagreed, or fought. Everything in me desperately wanted to fix it, wanted to say the words that would take everything back. I opened my mouth to speak, but had no words myself to explain why he was wrong.

"I worried, when I realized that I was falling for you, that you were just telling me what I wanted to hear. You're always so polite, so put together, so well-spoken, I wondered if it was genuine. And then you kissed me, and I thought that nobody could fake a kiss like that. And I'm not accusing you of faking your affection for me Isabella but I am realizing that maybe I don't know you as well as I think, and maybe you don't know me."

"Edward –"

"We have the rest of our lives to figure it out, because even if I wanted to marry anyone else except you I don't have a choice at this point. And I don't – I'm not trying to hurt you or say that I don't want to marry you, but even now you won't just open up and tell me what you're feeling. You act like everything is fine, but I don't ever get to know what you're thinking, even right now."

"Because I don't know what I'm thinking! I don't know what I'm supposed to think!" I didn't mean the outburst, but it got Edward to look at me, at least.

"You're not supposed to think anything." Edward snorted almost sarcastically, and it flipped a switch in me. I was sorry, I was so sorry, but I was also frustrated and somewhere, deep inside me, angry.

"You think it was easy for me to say nothing to you, Edward? Like I just brushed it off and under a rug? This has been eating at me for nearly three weeks! Of course I wanted to tell you, I wanted you to tell me if I was being crazy, or if I was being petty, or jealous, or, or, but I thought I was doing what was best. I was trying to follow the rules!"

"What rules? There are no rules for this situation."

"There are rules for every situation, Edward, and if you don't realize that you're kidding yourself. Everything I've ever done in my life has rules, and especially becoming a Queen of a foreign country. If I had told you, if we had decided to ban Victoria, and if I was misunderstanding the situation then we start off your reign as me being the psychotic, jealous Queen! I'm already boring and uptight and overly proper but crazy? You don't walk away from crazy! So yes, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you but I trusted James to help me make sure that I wasn't about to ruin your reign before it even started with scandal and, and embarrassment –"

"Like your mother did your father when she started dating Phillip." Edward cut in, staring at me with pity and sudden understanding.

"N, no." I shook my head, but his words had already sunk in.

"You truly believed that you were protecting me, by making yourself worried and miserable." Edward nodded to himself, then exhaled heavily.

"I had an interesting conversation with Rosalie while she was in Italy with you."

"Let me guess, she told you that my parents expect too much of me and it's unfair." I shrugged, trying to push back a swell of some emotion that was trying to rise in me.

"She told me that I needed to be careful what I say to you, because you take everything too seriously and you're a perfectionist." I nearly gasped out loud, staring at Edward in shock – not that Rosalie would say that but that he would repeat it.

"She's entitled to her opinion." I answered, and Edward nodded.

"She is, and so are you. Except that Rosalie has no problem speaking her mind, and you clearly do."

"I don't." I said, but it was weak, mostly because I couldn't convince myself that it wasn't true.

"Bella, you know that I don't love you because I think you're perfect, right? Because you're not, perfect. And I love you anyways."

"I know I'm not perfect."

"I also don't expect you to be perfect. I'm not, nobody expects you to always make the right decision or the least embarrassing, most appropriate decision."

"I…" I couldn't even respond to that statement, with a choking feeling rising up in me.

"You know I'm not perfect, right? Because if I'm expected to be a perfect Duke Charming for our entire marriage, I'm afraid you're going to have a long, unhappy marriage."

"I don't expect you to be perfect, Edward. I love you." I said it again, in case he still doubted.

"I need you to stop expecting yourself to be perfect then, either, love. I mean that. I need you to start doing what it is that you want to do, and less of what you think other people want you to. Bella, a Queen answers to nobody except the King. You are poised, and beautiful, and intelligent, and classy, and so many other amazing things, but all of that means nothing if you don't make choices or decisions or don't do things because you let someone else tell you that you're not supposed to. And God forbid, if anything were to happen to me before we have a child, we absolutely cannot have a Queen who holds anyone's opinions above her own. You are too smart, and too capable for that, Bella."

I didn't know why I was crying, or when I started, only that I was. Not just because of Edward's words, which I knew were right despite every fiber of my body wanting to deny them. It was like a weight I hadn't realized I was carrying was suddenly lifted off my shoulders. I was so used to being criticized, critiqued, admonished, or berated when I went against what I was told. My mind connected Edward's words to the warnings Rosalie had given me in Paris and in Italy and even here in England, to Alice's concerned encouragement in telling me to consider and be vocal about what I wanted.

"I'm here, love." Edward gently tugged me into his lap, allowing me to cry into his shoulder as he wordlessly rubbed my back.

"I hope I haven't hurt you." Edward murmured in my ear. I shook my head. I had the brief thought that I needed to stop crying before Gian Carlo and Alistair returned, and then I realized that I didn't have to care, and that made me cry a little harder.

When I'd fully cried the weight off of my shoulders, I went limp in Edward's arms for a moment, and let myself just enjoy the feeling of him holding me. Then I leaned back and kissed him and didn't stop even when I heard a gentle knock at the door. The door opened and then immediately closed, and I told myself that if I didn't want to stop kissing my fiancé I didn't have to, and it was simple as that. But the moment calmed. I pulled back, pecked him one more time gently, and then stared into his slightly darkened eyes.

"You're right and I love you. And I should have told you, because I wanted to tell you and because I know that you would have done whatever we decided to do and not what James said. I'm sorry that I didn't" my breath hitched "that I didn't trust myself enough to make the decision that I knew was best."

Edward opened his mouth to respond, and then there was another knock on the door.

"Come in." Edward said. He made no move to move me from his lap, so I didn't move. It was uncomfortable, doing what I wanted to do, but it was also freeing.

"Your Highnesses, obviously the situation with Lady Victoria will take more than an hour or two to resolve, however James has been brought to my team for questioning." Alistair addressed us as thought it was completely normal to see me in Edward's lap which, as his fiancé, I realized that it probably was.

"Bring him to me first." Edward spoke up, and both Alistair and I stared at him with shocked eyes.

"Duke Edward, while I fully respect and trust your judgment, I am not sure if in this case, this would be wise."

"I want him to look me in the eyes and explain to me why I shouldn't have him executed for treason for potentially ignoring an attempt on my life." I realized then that all of Edward's earlier anger may not have been for me. I considered that while I hardly knew James, he had been by Edward's side for years. James' negligence was a sort of betrayal.

"I will bring him in, then. Principessa, would you like to be present as well?" The proper thing to say was no, but I wanted to, so I nodded.

"I'd like to hear what he has to say." I said. Edward grasped my hand with a gentle squeeze.

"As you wish." Alistair nodded.

It took ten minutes for James to arrive, during which time I did move back over to my seat and did my best to remove the evidence of my tears from my face without a mirror handy.

It was strange to see James escorted in, in handcuffs. He didn't speak as he was placed in a chair in front of us and handcuffed to it, but when he saw Edward he visibly relaxed.

"Mr. Connor, the Duke has been appraised of everything that occurred and breach in security. You are invited to provide atonement for your actions."

"My actions?" He stared at Edward as though they were in on the same joke. I glanced at Edward, who was sitting forward in his seat, jaw clenched, staring at James.

"To start, why was my fiancé under the impression that you were the head of my personal security, and the person to bring her security concerns to?"

"A misunderstanding, I'm sure. She sees me around you the most, I assume that I am the person the Princess is the most comfortable with on our security team. The two of us share a kinship, the same as Gian Carlo shares with the Princess."

"You assume?" Edward asked.

"Maybe I exaggerated my importance a touch, but Gian Carlo knew Alistair had final authority over everything." James shrugged, and from the way Edward shifted back in his seat I knew it had been a mistake. James seemed to realize as well, as he sat straighter – abandoning his relaxed position and shifting uneasily.

"Please explain to me how it is that Principessa Isabella warned you weeks before our wedding that she had unearthed a potential threat to myself and to our marriage, and yet Alistair never heard of the threat. What happened during that conversation?" James glanced to me warily, then looked back at Edward.

"I can admit that I perhaps haven't handled the situation with the urgency it deserves, but I've been through a few weddings and seen brides get emotional over nothing as their big day approached. I thought I was being helpful, I warned her against letting simple emotions or jealously cloud against judgment. You have to understand – how far-fetched is it to believe that in one careless conversation someone would reveal a plot to drug their future King? To what end?"

"That is not your job to decide. You are not a detective, nor the head of security. Your job is to guard my body, and to elevate all threats to your superiors. All threats. If this is your idea of taking your job seriously you should have been fired long before now."

"Fired? I've made a mistake, I'll admit, but fired? I was trying to offer some practical wisdom. She was nearly hysterical and jealously can make people do and say and believe irrational things."

"I see. You took it upon yourself to decide that the Princess, your future Queen, was an irrational mess when she brought you a serious security concern, and then further took it upon yourself to dismiss her."

"I'm not sure what she, that is what the Princess remembers but I hardly think I –"

"She brought you a threat on my life, and you treated her like a petulant child and dismissed her claims. And tell me honestly, since you took it into your own hands and never spoke to Alistair, did you ever question Victoria?"

"Edward, you have to understand from my perspective how –"

"How dare you have the nerve to address me by my first name." Edward sat, jaw clenched and body tense. James was growing more uneasy by the second.

"My Lord, I apologize that I overstepped but surely the Principessa can attest that I was only trying to be helpful?" James looked away from Edward then, and truly looked at me. I could see him pleading with his eyes for me to say something to lessen the tension. Pat of me had compassion for his situation. But the rest of me was angry, and I wanted to express that anger.

"I can attest that you belittled me, spoke down to me, and made me feel guilty about bringing a security threat to your attention, James. And why? Why did you think me so childish or not credible as to not even have a conversation with Victoria, let alone bring the concern to Alistair?"

"Belittled? If I overstepped or I was too firm I was only – Ed – my Lord I am not, I would never –"

"Answer her question."

"I thought I was protecting you – from scandal and jealousy and…" Edward had clearly had enough.

"It is interesting to me how you knew Isabella well enough to hit on her exact weakest vulnerabilities to push her to do what you wanted,and yet still misunderstand her character so completely. If you had ever paid five seconds of attention to her, you would've known the idea that she would jeopardize my reputation or hers over some petty jealousy should be laughable to you. And even if that was your concern, it has never, ever been under your authority to make that judgment call."

"But my Lord, I was acting on your behalf!"

"And yet, you've had weeks to bring my fiancé's concerns to your supervisor's attention –and you said nothing. As far as I'm concerned, if it is revealed that Victoria Howard did in fact have any schemes against my person you are just as guilty as she is."

"Ed – my Lord. I can only apologize. I know that it will never be enough, and I am sure that I can consider myself fired, but I give you my sincerest apologies for how deeply I failed you." To all of our surprise Edward laughed before James was even finished, a sickening laugh that I'd never heard from him before.

"To me? You apologize to me? You owe an apology to Isabella. She made her mistakes, and she will atone for them, but her biggest mistake was putting trust in someone who has shown himself to be so far away from being worthy of any trust or esteem as to be almost laughable." My heart quickened as Edward said I'd atone for my mistakes, but James visibly shrank in his seat.

"Princess, please accept my sincerest apologies." James wouldn't meet my eyes, but I didn't care.

"James, I don't want an apology from you. I can forgive your negligence. But do not think, for one moment, that I will ever forget that when I came to you to save Edward, you failed him. And if you are a praying sort, pray that Victoria is truly planning nothing. Because if any plot comes out, any consequences that would've resulted from her schemes would've rested on your shoulders."

"I believe we're finished here." Alistair cut in before James could respond. He escorted James out, as Edward and I sat in silence. After a long moment, Edward reached across and grabbed my hand, turning to face me.

"You know that I love you?" Edward asked me, and I nodded.

"I think that rather than decorum and policy and all of the other useless lessons you've been enduring, we need to get you a confidence coach."

"Excuse me?"

"Someone who can work with you on finding your voice. Bella, I meant what I said. Yes, James is at fault for how he handled the situation. But if Victoria was planning something, and was able to carry it out, part of the culpability would have been your inability to trust your own instincts enough to do what you felt was right. I need you to trust yourself enough to act first on what you believe, not the rules anyone sets up for you. And I love you enough to know that I'm not going to be enough to help with that."

"I'll work on it, Edward. I don't – I don't need a coach, I don't think."

"It'll be discreet, as far as anyone will know you'll still be in policy and decorum lessons. We'll have them sign a treason NDA. But love, I need you to overcome this hurdle and grow, so that we can grow together." I sighed. In the span of less than three hours, I'd gone through an emotional nightmare, and I was wrung out and exhausted. But staring in the face of what could've happened, I couldn't deny that something really needed to change.

So, I said yes.


	19. A Wedding

**A/N: Hey guys. I've been having some laptop issues, and they're not really resolved but someone I love pointed out to me that since I store all my files online, I can edit and post chapters using Word Online and then downloading them and re-uploading them without needing to be able to actually open them on the computer. So, I'm back on a random day with the last 2 chapters of this story! I think you've waited long enough – why delay it? You'll get the big, sappy A/N at the end of the last chapter, but here I want to say that I love you all enough to tell you there's no lemon, and I hope you enjoy reading this anyways.**

 **I don't own SM's characters, she doesn't own my plot!**

* * *

Edward moved quickly. Two days later, instead of working with Jason I was introduced to a kind woman in her mid-forties named Kelly, and then every day after I spent at least 2 hours a day with her breaking down thought patterns and things I'd absorbed in my childhood that had resulted in a paralyzing fear of disappointing my loved ones or being perceived negatively. I leaned too much on authority, I ignored my own thoughts and feelings too much, all of these were painful things to hear about myself and Kelly made me admit them all aloud without batting an eyelash.

It was difficult, but it was needed. The more we spoke, the more roleplaying and exercises we did, the more comfortable I got with the idea of being defiant, or of having an opinion or thought that didn't match what I was told to believe.

Edward had kept it truly silent – telling nobody but a very few palace officials and not even his parents. I chose not to tell any of my friends either, wanting the space to work through things without needing to hear their opinions – though I knew they'd be supportive. Instead, it made me lean on Edward more and open up to him in new ways. In return, it created space for him to be more vulnerable with me as well, and I saw a nurturing, supportive side of him I hadn't seen yet. I'd worried after our confrontation that Edward would think I was crazy. Instead, it only helped us to understand each other better.

And still, life moved on, and days ticked by, until five days before our wedding we were called into a meeting with Alistair and Gian Carlo.

"Please, have a seat." Alistair encouraged us, and when we sat, he jumped right into it.

"We have reason enough to believe that Victoria was planning some sort of plot against Duke Edward's person, to bring her in for questioning. A subpoena of her phone records found the phone call that Principessa must have overheard, during which she did in fact converse with someone about a plan to return to the good graces of the royal family for the sole purpose of being able to dose Duke Edward with GHB, a mind-altering substance. The details of the plan, and full reckoning, will have to come when we bring her and her identified accomplice in for questioning. Hopefully if we can play them against each other, we won't have a drawn-out course case on our hands."

"Who was her accomplice?"

"A drug dealer who also works as a bartender. It seems the loose plan was for him to bribe an employee to call out from the wedding and switch places, with the hope that we wouldn't have noticed. I assure you, we would have noticed – every person who is working the wedding has been securely vetted including every waiter, busboy, kitchen staff member, bartender, musician, and anyone else. However, it appears neither Victoria nor her accomplice believed that we would be that detailed."

"What about James?" Edward asked, frowning.

"We have found nothing to suggest his involvement, however his arrogance could have cost you your life and marriage, my Lord, and for that reason he of course has been terminated."

"What happens now?" I asked. Alistair smiled at me.

"Now, Principessa, you let us handle this security threat properly, and you focus on your upcoming wedding. And you promise me that if a situation like this arises in the future, you will not stop pestering our team until it is properly vetted."

"I promise." I smiled, and Edward subtly squeezed my knee. Then, we were free to go. As soon as I was out of the room, I pulled Edward close to me, and kissed him deeply.

"I am so excited to marry you." I told him, and then he pulled me in close and I allowed the stress of wedding planning and worrying about Victoria to finally fade fully into my past.

Rather than the stag or hen party that the royal staff wanted for us, Edward and I opted to spend a day of community service two days before our wedding. We both felt it made the most sense, as we had no true wedding party to speak of. Edward's grandfather Anthony, younger brother to Elizabeth, would be standing with him at the wedding and was sixty-eight going on ninety-eight with the way he complained about his "old bones." While I had accepted Tanya as my maid of honor, we weren't yet in a place where I would want to spend a night on the town with just her – especially not to pose for pictures.

Instead, it was a fun day spent in London with over two-thousand volunteers, and one made better by the presence of Angela, Alice, Rosalie, and my sister – all of whom had remained in England since the dress shopping and were happy to bring Tanya into the fold.

The night before our wedding Edward was called in to some business, and I went to bed early, eager to wake up on my wedding day. Instead I woke up to the sound of a piano and found Edward not in bed with me, but outside of my window playing piano while a red-haired English singer whose name eluded my grasp sang a love ballad. I hadn't mentioned la serenata once. But there he was, serenading me. By the time I got outside our family and friends were there, even grandfather Anthony and Queen Elizabeth, to have a drink and toast to our wedding.

Nothing, not even seeing Jacob mixed in with my family, could bring down my happiness in that moment. I thought I understood Jacob a bit better, as I stood among all the people I loved. I wondered what I'd be willing to do and who I'd be willing to hurt if it meant that I'd end up right where I was, about to marry Edward. With that thought, I also realized that what Kelly and I were doing had to be working, even a little bit, because I could admit to myself that what I wanted was a priority.

When the serenade and toasting was done, I was immediately ushered into my room and to bed – without Edward – and straight back to sleep with a mask on my face and curlers in my hair.

The next morning, I woke up with the biggest smile on my face. To be honest, I don't remember much of the beauty regimen. Mirene and Sophie – who I insisted were there to help me on my wedding day – were joined by a full team who all seemed to dance around me as I sat in a chair. Next to me was Tanya, who was absolutely beaming as they helped her into a beautiful deep blue gown, let her hair down in gentle curls, and buffed and polished her like they were doing to me.

I do remember putting on my dress. Unlike my sister's dress, this dress had a smaller body with a long, lace train. The top was lace sleeved and sheer, but not inappropriately so. It wasn't the fluffy princess dress, but it made me feel royal, and regal. When I'd shown it to my friends and family, everyone remarked that I truly looked like a Queen. Maison Signore had even named the dress La Regina and would be selling it online with proceeds going to charity.

As I was escorted to the church, my thoughts were consumed with Edward. Tanya walked out first, through throngs of public and press who were not allowed in the ceremony. When I stepped out, I couldn't see Edward. I met my father at the bottom of the aisle, bright red tie signifying Italy, and I was surprised to see him look so emotional.

"Figlia mia, sono così orgoglioso di te." I nearly cried then, hearing him tell me he was proud of me – a sentiment my father rarely expressed with any of us. Then the music swelled, and it was time for us to walk forward. With my father, I walked up the stairs carefully, eyes forward. I walked in the doors, and then everything else faded away. I've seen photos, so I know that the setup was beautiful. I know that the congregation was teary-eyed. I know that Tanya and Edward's grandfather stood at the altar smiling.

All I remember, is Edward. He stood in his dress uniform – which I hadn't been allowed to see him in – shoulders back and head straight. He didn't cry when he saw me – instead his face broke out into the biggest smile I'd ever seen. I shed one single tear then, seeing his joy.

The ceremony was fast, translated into Italian by a wizened translator for the Italian media. Or, it felt fast, though I'm told it was over two hours long. My father gave me away more formally than with Ines, because he was giving away a Princess to become a Queen. The minister also embellished the sermon, speaking to our qualities and leadership potential. My vows didn't truly sound like me, rehearsed as they'd been, and neither did Edward's. But the sentiment was there. The love was there. I felt so, incredibly lucky that I would get to call Edward my husband. Edward – who had finally broken through the façade I'd built around myself and was slowly helping pull the real me out. The whole ceremony he was beaming from ear to ear, smiling so hard that I had to smile back.

At the end, when it was time to kiss the bride, we'd discussed a simple, church kiss. I think I knew Edward wouldn't comply. But as he pulled me into his arms and dipped me back in a kiss, I wasn't thinking about propriety. I kissed him back with everything I had, only dimly aware of the crowd clapping politely but loudly in the background. When we came up for air, I wiped my lipstick off of Edward's face, and then we were introduced as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, heirs to the throne of England. At our coronation, Elizabeth would become the Duchess of Edinburgh and the two of us would be the King and Queen of England.

Once we were introduced, Edward and I went down the aisle, smiling at our well-wishers until we made it outdoors. There, I greeted the English public for the first time as heir to the throne of England, through marriage. I was no longer an Italian Principessa, I was an English Duchess, and soon to be England's Queen. The roar was deafening. Whatever the press thought about me or Edward, whatever was said behind closed doors, in that moment there was only approval and joy.

We were then escorted back to Buckingham to take our wedding photos. That hour passed much slower. I was posed first with Tanya, then with Tanya and my sister, then with my sister, then with Emmett, then with my parents, then our entire family, then our family including Tanya. By contrast, Edward only had to pose with his family and Emmett. Then, Edward and I posed with my parents, and then with his parents, and then formally with the Queen and with Duke Anthony. I sat with the children of our wedding party, then Edward, and then Edward and I sat with them. Then, finally, Edward and I sat together for our photos, including what was to be our royal wedding portrait. I was only glad that the two of us did not have to sit for the portrait to be painted live.

After the photographs, I was once again rushed to makeup and hair for my reception look. For this look, I wore a white Alexander McQueen gown that was simpler and easier to move in, with an off-the-shoulder design and simple, draped skirt. It was also the compromise for my Italian wedding dress, to represent my transition to being an English citizen. This time I was allowed to see Edward as soon as I was ready, and we only took a few pictures in his simple tuxedo and my dress before we were finally taken to our reception.

We arrived and were once again formally introduced, before being ushered in to our seats for our receiving line. In all of the excitement, thoughts of Victoria had faded to the back of my mind. But as we settled into our seats, I found myself grateful for the way the situation had played out. It was painful, realizing how stupid I'd made myself in my bid to appear to be the unflappable, perfect future Queen. But I would take the pain, and my subsequent growth, any day over the apprehension I knew I would have had that day if I hadn't said anything. Instead, I got to feel relieved and relaxed, and happy.

"Edward?"

"Wife?" Since the second we'd stepped out of the church, he'd only addressed me as wife. It made my heart flutter every time.

"Thank you, for telling me the truth, and loving me enough to not let me stay the same."

I saw in his eyes the moment Edward recognized what I was thinking about. He nodded, clasping our hands together and lifting them to his lips for a kiss.

"Of course, Bella. Always. I love you exactly as you are, but you're too much to let anyone silence you or make you feel less than. Flaws and all, bad choices and all, I'm always in your corner, alright."

"I know, and I love you, and I can't wait to dig deeper into your worst flaws and help you fix them too. You're not perfect either." I tried to sound stern, but he knew I was joking and rolled his eyes at me. Then someone started gently tapping their glass, then a host of people, and then Edward pulled me in for another deep, totally indecent, and absolutely incredible kiss.

My parents were one of the first to greet us in the receiving line, after only Queen Elizabeth and Edward's family, and as they approached my mother pulled me into a hug.

"I'm so very proud of you, bella ragazza." I was surprised to see that my mother had cried, the evidence of tears in the red in her eyes, despite flawless makeup. "You've made Italy proud."

I thought of pushing back, telling my mother that I wasn't marrying Edward for her, or for Italy, or for any other reason that for myself. But I didn't need to. If my mother was happy, and I was happy, her opinion didn't matter.

"He's a good man, and I've never loved anyone like I've loved him." I said instead, and though a brief moment of shock passed across my mother's face, she smoothed it almost immediately into a smile.

"Then I suppose I shouldn't tell you not to let him kiss you like that in public." She asked, eyebrow raised but with a small smile on her face. I shrugged.

"You can tell me not to, but I still will. I like it." I smiled to soften the sting, and my mother nodded.

"I love you, Bella. And more than anything, I am glad that you are happy." That was it. My father shook Edward's hand, kissed me on both cheeks, and then moved on.

That was the cue for the other royal families in attendance to greet us. Emmett, who clapped Edward on the shoulder perhaps a touch more forcefully than necessary as he good-naturedly told Edward to look after his sister. The French royal family, who all gave us an impersonal congrats except for Rosalie who hugged us both and then snapped a quick Snapchat with me. Alice, Jasper, and his sisters who all wished us well, Alice with a quick laugh about my marriage bed. And on and on. Even Jane attended, looking nearly juvenile next to Alec, and very vocal where he didn't say a word. She looked truly happy, which I didn't understand but couldn't begrudge her, not when I was so happy to have Edward.

After the receiving line we had our first round of toasts, and then our carefully choreographed first dance waltz. Perhaps to show that we could really dance, the waltz was full of more complicated movements than strictly necessary, but I enjoyed it tremendously. It was slow, sensual, and absolutely beautiful.

Edward kept me on the dance floor for a few more dances, then we sat for dinner and our last round of toasts. Then, more dancing, this time with Latin numbers mixed in. If the press or our guests were bothered by how closely Edward held me, they kept it to themselves and I didn't care. I was having fun, just uninhibited fun, exactly how it was supposed to be.

We eventually returned to our seats panting, for a quick touch-up ahead of our dessert and cake being presented. I was immediately accosted by a small makeup and hair team as my hair was "artfully rearranged" and I was blotted and touched up. Then someone clinked a glass, Edward pulled me in for another kiss, and then my lipstick was touched up once more.

As soon as I was deemed ready, the cake was wheeled in and we walked to the center of the room. Everyone oo'd and aa'd at our fruitcake, a simple naked cake design that I hadn't wanted but found I really loved. Rather than smooshing cake into each other's faces, Edward and I delicately fed each other bites of cake. Fruitcake wasn't my favorite, but it didn't matter, because after we returned to our seats there was the presentation of the millefoglie.

Even I gasped aloud as I saw it. It was decorated in the shape of a union jack, with strawberries for the red and blueberries for the blue. Each layer had perfect dollops of cream pressed in around more berries. It almost looked too beautiful to eat. It tasted even better, Edward and I the first to be served.

After that was more dancing, and then Edward and I formally thanked our guests and took our leave. I'd been upset at first when they told us that there would be no toasts in our wedding program. But as Edward and I sat in the back of our car on the way back to Buckingham, I realized that it was a blessing in disguise. The last wisps of sunlight still peeked over the darkened horizon, Edward and I were alone, and as he pulled me unabashedly into his lap I realized there would be no stopping us that night.

His room – our room – would absolutely have to be redecorated. It was very masculine, which made sense since I'd insisted I didn't want to change a thing until we were fully moved in. That night, I didn't notice or care.

Instead, I felt how much Edward loved me as he helped me out of my dress and into the shower; as he bathed us both, not initiating, ignoring the evidence of his desire in favor of cleaning the day off and relaxing me. I felt his love in how he gently and carefully carried me out of the shower, drying me off, and watching me remove my makeup. He teased me as I fully let down my hair, and then buried his face in it and breathed me in, before pulling me into a deep kiss.

"I love you." He whispered, pulling me to the bed and gently guiding me down as he continued to kiss me. And as we continued, both knowing that there was no stopping and no need to rush, I once again felt how incredibly lucky I was that Edward had come into my life, regardless of the circumstances. He made sure I finished before entering me, and though it wasn't the most comfortable sensation I'd ever experienced at first, sharing that intimacy with Edward only deepened the love I felt for him.

Besides, I had another 2, much more pleasant times with my husband that evening to make up for it.


	20. May the King and Queen Live Forever

**A/N: Long Author's Note at the end, but if you're still here thank you so much for sticking with me through this.**

 **I still don't own these characters, though.**

* * *

The day after our wedding, life went on. We were informed late in the afternoon that Victoria's questioning was enough to place her and her co-conspirator under arrest for treason. Rather than a drawn out, public treason case, Victoria was offered a plea deal. If she pled guilty, she would be stripped of her title and permanently deported from England, unable to return under threat of immediate lifelong imprisonment. If she attempted to go to court, and was found guilty, she would be tried for treason and imprisoned for life for attempted regicide. She wavered, but after her supplier came forward in a plea deal for twenty years rather than life imprisonment, and after James was imprisoned, she quickly took the deal and permanently joined her mother in Monaco.

I found I didn't care much, except to be relieved that I would never have to worry about her again and maybe slightly embarrassed that I could've done something sooner but hadn't. A few days later, I was just happy to be relaxing with my friends the day before arguably the biggest day in my life.

"I can't believe that you didn't tell any of us!" Gossip traveled fast, and two days after our wedding Rosalie was still processing and had no issue letting me know.

"There's nothing you could have done, Rosalie."

"I could've done plenty, and as my friend you should've told me. That girl is crazy, and you and Edward could've been in danger." It was the closest she'd ever get to saying she was worried about us. I held out my arms for a hug, and she lurched forward to hug me. Alice and Jasper had departed already for Germany, and Henri and Vera had returned to France, but Rosalie was waiting to return to France until the coronation, which I suspected was because of Emmett. The two of them were still trying to keep their relationship private.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" To buy her more time, I'd invited Tanya to remain in England until my coronation – which her father had no problem agreeing to. Tanya told me she hoped that she'd meet and marry an English or Italian Duke and never have to return to Russia again, and while I didn't want her to rush into anything, I was happy to have her around. Without Jane, Tanya was bubbly and kind and genuine.

"You're going to be a Queen, Bella." Angela had stayed as well and had formally applied to be my lady-in-waiting. I knew Angela would be fine in Italy, but selfishly I wanted her in England with me. Rosalie couldn't stay forever, Alice was already gone, but Angela had been my best friend in Italy and I'd be overjoyed to have her with me in England.

"I can't believe it."

"I can. You're too regal to be a Spanish Duchess or Baroness. I think you were always meant to be a Queen." Rosalie rolled her eyes, and Tanya pushed her shoulder. The two of them were still feeling each other out but had gotten more comfortable around each other.

"Well, it looks like we'll be Queens together." I said pointedly. Rosalie lifted her chin and neither confirmed nor denied what I said.

"When do you have to go in to the policy meeting?" Angela asked. She'd already begun familiarizing herself with my schedule and calendar. Of course, the policy meeting was a session with Kelly, but she didn't know that. I'd decided to keep it private, because it helped me stay focused on the growth, instead of worrying about being judged.

"In an hour or so. Edward will come to get me."

"Make sure you leave when he does. He forget there are other people around when he sees Bella these days!" Tanya laughed, and I blushed. The day before, she'd been sitting and reading in the library with me when Edward had walked in and had a hand under my shirt in less than a minute. She'd quietly excused herself and I've never known since if he ever realized she was there – not that I had the bandwidth to care within a few minutes.

"You're both disgustingly cute." Rosalie agreed with Tanya, and even Angela wouldn't meet my eyes. They weren't wrong though. I loved my husband, and he loved me, and he was happy.

When my session with Kelly was over, Edward and I met privately with Elizabeth to discuss a few last details, and then that was it. When we woke the next morning, we'd be mere hours away from becoming the King and Queen of England.

The following afternoon found me and Edward sat together, waiting to assume our mantle as the official rulers of England. This would be my first public appearance since the wedding – Edward's as well since he hardly left my side aside from his meetings. He was in another dress uniform, and I was in a complimentary cream gown with a skirt and train so large that I filled the entire back seat, Edward sitting around the corner to my left in the back of a carriage. We were last in a procession of military force that was more like a parade. Edward and I weren't paying attention – consumed with excitement and very much in our own little world.

"I love you, Princess Isabella." Edward brought my hand to his lips and kissed it gently, the closest he could come with the train of my dress fanned out between us in the car.

"I love you, husband. But, you know I'm a Duchess." I smiled back.

"You're my Princess, and soon to be England's Queen." It was cheesy; I still flushed with happiness.

When we arrived, I was carefully escorted out first, to cameras and smiling faces. These people were about to become my people. I felt myself get surprisingly emotional. Unlike the last time I'd stood in front of England, Edward was right by my side moments later. A heavy, fur-lined cape was draped over my shoulders and Edward's - the train of Edward's cloak matching the length of the train of my dress. I was handed a bouquet of white flowers from all around the Commonwealth – roses, lillies-of-the-valley, orchids, stephanotis, and carnations, though Edward had a single white rose boutonniere. Then, Edward was crowned in a coronet to represent his status as heir, and myself a tiara befitting a princess.

When we were all arranged, Edward carefully took my hand, two women behind me holding the end of the train, and we walked forward through the people hand in hand into Westminster Abbey.

The service – which I'd been told dated back to the year 973 – was simpler than I'd expected. It was Edward's distant great uncle, Marcus, Duke of Norfolk, who arranged the ceremony, and it had been his decision to use the older rather than the more contemporary service. I liked the tradition and simplicity of it – thought it was long.

First, the symbols of the monarchy were carried into the Abbey ahead of us. Then, we proceeded to the altar, our cloaks and my dress dragging on the carpet behind us, until we reached the altar. Edward was presented to the assembled congregation first, then myself. Hearing them all chant "God Save King Edward" and then "God Save Queen Isabella" the magnitude of what we were doing truly struck me.

As I made my oath and Edward made his I did not tear up, but the emotion was there. The oath was long, but meaningful, and we both spoke with conviction. When we finished, Edward leaned in to whisper to me as the artifacts were returned to their proper place.

"If only they truly knew what a wonderful Queen they are getting."

There was a communion. Edward and I were stripped down to our simplest layers, the overcoat of my dress removed to reveal simple white linen, and his military garments removed to reveal a white dress shirt and his black trousers. Then, Edward was escorted to his Coronation chair, while I was helped into a stool at his right at his feet. We were then anointed with the royal anointing oil, a vial that had been preserved since Elizabeth had been crowned.

Edward was presented with the spurs, which he acknowledged and I acknowledged and then were returned to the altar. Then Edward took the sword of state, which he placed on the altar after having me kiss it. He was fitted with the armillas, stole royal and robe royal. Then he removed one armilla and placed it on my wrist, and removed his outer robe and placed it over my shoulders, as a symbol of his elevating me to his Queen Consort. Lastly he was handed the sovereign's orb, the scepter with Cross, and the sovereign's scepter with Dove, which was also handed to me. With the armilla on his right wrist and the orb in his right hand, and the scepter in his left, and myself with both hands on my scepter, Edward and I were simultaneously crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Bath and Wells respectively, as the crowd chanted "God Save the King and Queen!" three times, loudly.

Then the 21-gun salute was fired, and every English royal family gathered to pay their homage to us both, and allegiance to Edward. I began, pledging my allegiance to Edward to signify that he was above me as King of England. Then I was seated again, and we greeted each family one by one. It took longer than I'd expected, and I was relieved when we reached the end and the crowd cheered "God save King Edward. Long live Kind Edward. May the King and Queen live for ever!" Then our royal regalia was taken, we were re-dressed in our full clothing, we prayed, we re-took our scepters and Edward's orb and ring, and then we left for our recessional parade.

Before us traveled Duchess Elizabeth, Duke and Duchess Carlisle and Esme, the King and Queen of Italy, the Prince of Italy, the King and Queen of Germany, The Prince and Princess of France, The Princess of Russia, and a full military procession featuring members of all branches. We trailed them in an open carriage, still clutching our royal artifacts, and I beamed.

Every time the carriage stopped Edward would lean over to kiss me, despite the fact that moving had to have been difficult with a four pound crown on his head. I no longer worried about propriety but kissed him back. There was no need to worry. I was a Queen, and a Queen needn't worry about anyone's opinion but her King's. It was a heady feeling – not of power but of complete freedom.

When we finally got back to Buckingham, we were relieved of the artifacts, though not of the crowns, and then we were escorted to stand in front of the front doors. Edward pulled me into a deep kiss then, and I allowed myself to get lost in him – stopping only when Elyse cleared her throat behind us. I still had to select my lady-in-waiting, and while I knew Elyse wanted the position, I also knew exactly who I wanted by my side at all times – and Angela would never have clicked her tongue at us like we were insolent children.

"I am so proud to have you by my side today, Queen Isabella of England, first Queen of her name, and my beloved wife."

"I will always be by your side King Edward of England, the only Edward and the only King of any relevance to me, and my beloved husband. And know that I would do anything for you."

"Know that I will do whatever it takes so that you never have to." Edward promised, and then kissed me again. A cheer rang through the crowd, and I was sure Elyse was shaking her head, but I couldn't have cared less.

This was truly only the first part of the coronation, as we had several smaller ceremonies planned throughout the rest of the commonwealth. But as we were ushered inside and sat for our photographs – the best of which would later be painted into our coronation portrait – I felt so fulfilled. Edward was officially the King, and I was his Queen. Edward was my husband, I was his wife, and I knew that nothing could threaten that.

I arrived in England to do a duty, honor a commitment to my parents, and do what I was supposed to do. But I don't love Edward because I am supposed to, I love him deeply and passionately because of who he is. For the rest of my life I will have a duty to England just as I once had a duty to Italy. But on that day and every day after, I've worked hard to no longer feel confined, no longer feel a need to be perfect. I am Queen Isabella of England to the world, but I am just Isabella to my husband and to him me, exactly as I am, is more than enough.

* * *

 **A/N: Writing Crowned was much, much more of a challenge than I anticipated. This is a story that I initially thought of while I was still in college, and then put on the back burner immediately - mostly because I've struggled with Bella's characterization. I've always been a huge fan of Kate (and Meghan but obviously that came later) and fascinated about how she transitioned into the role of Duchess and potential future Queen Consort. But I started thinking about how it's going to be for their kids to grow up with everything in the modern age of social media and influencer-led consumerism, and what it would look like if the full European monarchy was still in place, not just a few ceremonial roles.**

 **This Bella is like no character I've ever written. She's an extreme perfectionist, she's overly self-aware, and she puts the opinions and needs of literally everyone in the world before herself. But she's also extremely loyal, very accommodating and empathetic, and passionate about law and propriety. I know that sometimes we all – myself included – wanted her to be a bit more aggressive, self-oriented, or even have just more grit. But it was interesting getting in the head of someone who was so different from me, from any character I would normally write. She doesn't have the big, dramatic, climactic scene where she tells her mother off or one-ups the press, but I didn't see her story going that way. Instead, she found her voice slowly throughout the course of the story, and in the end made a conscious choice to build up that developing backbone.**

 **I do have a long epilogue coming next, one last hurrah with this character and within this world, but other than that, this is where I'm going to leave her story. Thank you so much for reading.**


	21. A Forever

**A/N: Some people say, that a ridiculously long epilogue is a sign that the author is unable to let go of their fictional world.**

 **On we go!**

 **I have never owned these characters but, well, you know.**

* * *

 **2.5 Years Later**

"It should be you, not Ines, standing with me." Rosalie grumbled, as though my sister was not sitting a few feet away. She had an ornate lace veil pinned under the tiara in her hair, and her dress was so near the line of too risqué that its only saving grace was that a future Queen was wearing it. I held in a laugh, and gently patted my stomach.

"Yes, well the British royal decorum forbids it, and to be honest I hardly want to stand for hours right now."

"You're barely pregnant. You still have four months left." Rosalie rolled her eyes, and I held back a laugh.

"Five months is the majority of the pregnancy, Rosalie. You should just be glad that her morning sickness has passed, or she would probably have to sit with a discreet bucket." Alice chimed in, laughing freely.

"Rosalie, do you have any more photos you'd like to take before we start allowing guests out to the courtyard?"

"Not at the moment, no." I answered the photographer, as Rosalie peered in the mirror and once again adjusted her tiara.

Over three years of friendship with Rosalie had taught me her tells more than anything else. She never fidgeted; fidgeting meant nerves, but I had no idea what she was nervous about. Between Emmett, my mother, Rosalie's mother, and the team of three wedding planners orchestrating this event – Rosalie only had to speak and her wedding dreams were brought to life.

Unlike me and Edward, or Ines and Jacob, Emmett and Rosalie had taken a full year to plan their wedding to be the height of both French and Italian spectacle. Their wedding colors were jewel tones that complimented both of their coloring, which meant all of the jewelry, place settings, and décor for their wedding used actual gemstones from both royal treasuries and were estimated to be worth over 4.7 Million pounds alone. In addition to a royal tiara and centuries old jewelry, Rosalie had a handmade, custom gown that she co-designed herself. The reception meal was a twelve-course dinner. Every bridesmaid – all eleven of them – had custom-designed gowns in specifically chosen jewel tones that were perfectly color-matched to the tie of their groomsmen.

As future Queen of France, though she and Henri had yet to wed, Vera was enjoying the privilege of being the only other person in the wedding allowed to wear a tiara. Rosalie had argued that if she could have one Queen in her wedding, she should be allowed to have three, but four different PR authorities had told her no. I wasn't in the wedding, and neither was Alice, which was how Rosalie ended up with every other member of the clique, plus a few members of Italian gentry. As my lady-in-waiting Angela was also prohibited from participating, but I think she was secretly relieved.

"Have you spoken to Emmett today?" Rosalie asked me quietly, as Alice was distracted by a question from one of the wedding planners. I nodded, and she quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me to the side. If anyone noticed, they quickly pretended not to.

"What did he say, how is he feeling?"

"Rosalie you know how excited he is. And you both have years before my father is ready to give up the crown, you'll be Princess and heir to the throne of Italy for years. He's excited to have you as his wife."

"Did he say anything else?"

"No."

"I told him yesterday that I want us to have a baby, right away. He didn't say anything – I think I freaked him out. You and Edward waited two years, and Alice and Jasper still haven't started trying, and I can't imagine Vera ever willingly becoming someone's mother even though she's going to have to. But I, it's been two years of just the two of us and frankly – I want to have all of the children we're going to have before we're on the throne."

"Rosalie, everyone is going to expect the exact opposite from you. Besides, don't you want to have your last few wild years before you're the Queen?" I asked gently, "Or at the very least, enjoy your body for a few more years." I gestured to my stomach, which was much larger than I'd expected. Multiple news outlets had incorrectly reported that Edward and I were expecting twins; which was more amusing than anything.

"Bella, I saw how you and Emmett and your sister grew up. My children will always be royalty, but at least I can give them a few years where both their mother and their father can travel on vacation with them – and real vacations not diplomatic missions. I love you and Edward, but the second Baby Heir is born –"

"I hate that nickname."

"– he or she will be belong to Great Britain. And I want my future baby to be just mine and Emmett's for a while."

I couldn't pretend I didn't understand what Rosalie meant. Ever since Edward and I had announced the pregnancy the media had been crowing for any news about "Baby Heir" as they'd dubbed my child. It would've been nice to have some time where Edward was still the heir, and the baby wasn't quite the same media sensation.

"Rosalie, Emmett is obsessed with you. If anything, I imagine my brother is probably just excited about all of the practice you'll both get in before he can get the job done."

"Lucky him." Rosalie grinned and nodded, before whirling around and summoning Loane with a question.

The wedding was literally perfect; enough time and resources had gone into the ceremony that there was no excuse for it not to be. Rosalie looked the happiest I'd ever seen her, and Emmett was the ideal, besotted groom. Next to me, Edward clutched my hand the entire time, and delicately protected my belly whenever anyone got too close. I gave two toasts during the reception, the first to Emmett and the second to Rosalie. I had a custom meal due to the restrictions in my diet, but Edward's food looked incredible and my meal was delicious if simple.

"Would you like to dance?" As I sat, watching Emmett twirl Rosalie around the stage, my husband extended a hand to me.

"I'll be very clumsy, but of course." I laughed, and Edward gently helped me stand.

"You're never clumsy." He winked, before leading me in a careful waltz. He held me so gently and reverently as we moved. I thought it would feel uncomfortable, but then I've never felt awkward in Edward's arms. Instead I felt safe, and cherished.

"I love you." He whispered, out of the blue, as the song came to an end.

"I love you too, your majesty." I teased. Edward was slowly stepping away from his grandmother's reign to enact his own policies, which meant that the two of us were under more scrutiny than normal – which was saying something. I'd also created a stir recently, both for being pregnant and for starting a couple's instagram for the two of us to document our royal events. I didn't manage it – Angela had hired someone to do it, and it was all PR focused – but Rosalie's influence had somewhat lasted in that I missed having a slightly more personal touchpoint.

"Smile, you two." We turned to face Angela, as she quickly snapped a photo and smiled triumphantly at our shocked faces.

"I wanted a candid!" She laughed, her English much improved from when we'd first arrived in Great Britain. It wouldn't go on our official page, so I wondered if the picture was for the Instagram she'd started with Rosalie's help. Royal Unofficial was only allowed because it made Edward and I laugh, and the press team hadn't come up with a good enough reason to ban it. Unlike our official account, it showed a lot more personality.

"You both are so in love it's magical." Angela sighed. I turned to Edward, but he beat me, leaning in and pulling me into a deep kiss. Of course, the baby chose then to lean on my bladder, and the moment was broken, but as Edward helped hurry me to a bathroom I couldn't imagine ever loving him less.

Later, as we ended the evening with a toast to the blissful bride and groom, I clutched my husband's hand in mine and felt completely at peace.

 **11Years Later**

"I think everyone is enjoying themselves for a security risk of epic proportions." Edward chuckled in my ear, surprising me. I turned to smack him on the arm as I startled, and then a very small, very blonde toddler tugged on my arm.

"Mummy, no hit." I smiled, picking up our youngest – and last – child. Our Matilda – though everyone calls her Tilly – is the spitting image of her late aunt Katherine and the only blonde amongst our children. At three, Tilly was a very big believer that all rules applied to all people at all times.

"Yes, of course, I'm terribly sorry for hitting you, King Edward." I apologized to him in my gravest tone, and Tilly nodded.

"Mummy, Ollie and Eleanor said I'm too little to hold the baby." Tilly complained next, pouting.

"What did Edmund say?" Edward interrupted, holding out his arms. I tried not to role my eyes as Tilly practically leapt from my lap to her father's arms. She liked me well enough, but unlike her elder sister Eleanor who looked and behaved the most like me, my baby was a Daddy's girl.

"I can't find Eddy!" Tilly stated. Suppressing a parental panic, I turned to my left to interrupt Alice and Rosalie's conversation.

"Have either of you seen Edmund?" My oldest son has my dark hair and his father's beautiful eyes, but a wildness that came from nowhere. He is brilliant and diligent and obedient when he needs to be, but at eight whenever we set him loose he ran completely wild. He was almost too curious for his own good, and as the oldest of all his cousins, he was typically the ringleader for whatever trouble the older kids got up to.

"Edmund and Napoleon are currently trying to persuade a guard to let them out of the garden, they think Emmett and I aren't aware." Rosalie patted me on the arm, and Alice giggled.

"And Augusta and Marina are the tattlers, yes?" Alice laughed. As close and mine and Rosalie's first sons were, Alice and Rosalie's daughters were even closer. Despite the fact that there was no real reason for the Italian and German princesses to interact, the two of them were thick as thieves. If my two middle children weren't so close, I think Eleanor might have felt left out.

"This was a good idea." Tanya said from across the table, looking up from her own conversation with Angela. Of the women, only my sister and Vera remained too entrenched in their conversation to look up.

It had been Alice's idea to do a joint family vacation at one of the smaller Italian castles, and she'd been the one to coordinate the invitations. I appreciated her consideration in inviting Angela and my sister, and she'd surprised me by inviting Tanya as well. A few months after mine and Edward's wedding Tanya had returned home to Russia. She soon married a Russian businessman, then convinced him to move his business to Great Britain. Though I didn't see her as often as I'd have liked, she and Angela had struck up a surprising friendship. She'd been the one to introduce Angela to her husband, an English Duke with an antisocial family who thought the sun shone wherever Angela stepped.

"It really was." Angela agreed, smiling. When we'd initially proposed it, our security team had advised against it – pointing out that someone with ill intentions could decimate some of the world's most prominent royal families in one fell swoop. We'd listened – I would never risk my children – but we'd decided that it was worth it. Seeing all of the children playing together, I knew we were right.

Of all of the children, Edmund had been first – born late at 5 months after Rosalie and Emmett's wedding. By then Rosalie was pregnant, as promised, and the next year she gave birth to Napoleon – a name she could only get away with because Napoleon had technically been King of Italy for a short period. In a coincidence that had driven the global press crazy, me, Alice, Rosalie, and Ines had all been pregnant together, and within four months Alice gave birth to Augusta, I gave birth to Oliver, Ines had twins Santiago and Sebastian, and then Rosalie gave birth to Marina. Rosalie decided to stop at two and at the time I thought I would too. It turned out it was too late, and a year later I had Eleanor.

In that time, Tanya and Pasha had gotten married and moved to Great Britain, and she waited until she was settled in Great Britain to have Ruslan a year later. Tanya only wanted one child, and she absolutely doted on her son. Holding him at his Christening, Edward and I agreed to try for one more, and after Tilly we decided that four really was enough. At the same time, Vera and Henri – who'd also finally gotten married – caved and had Louis. Though Vera was technically expected to have a "spare" she hated being pregnant so much she insisted that she needed a minimum five-year break.

It took Alice and Jasper a while to get pregnant again, meaning that Alice was pregnant at the same time as Angela. First came Angela's son Rhys with her husband Benjamin, and then Alice's son Rudolf – a name she'd loved until my children had asked if he was a reindeer, which amused Jasper so much he refused to change it. A year later Ines recovered from the shock of having twins and gave birth to another child, 4-month-old baby Sofia that my daughter Tilly was dying to hold. Overall it was 14 children amongst the 7 families.

"Daddy, put me down." Tilly suddenly insisted. Edward immediately dropped her, and she ran back over to where the rest of the littles were playing in sand that someone had set up. Tilly, Louis, Rudolf, and Rhys played merrily while Ruslan tried to keep up in Eleanor, Oliver, and the twins' game of tag – insisting he was big enough. Rosalie guessed that it would only be a year or two more until Eleanor gave up on her brother and the other boys and started wanting to spend all of her time with Augusta and Marina, but I loved the tomboy side that her brother drew out of her – the only aspect of her personality that seemed to differ greatly from mine.

Hours later, after all of the children had been put to bed, the adults lounged together by a beautiful little pool – everyone in swimwear though nobody was swimming.

"Are you sure you don't want one more?" Edward murmured in my ear, as I leaned back against him in a lounge chair. His hand was tracing in lazy circles over my exposed stomach and I could feel how much he wanted to, at the very least, practice. I would never complain – seeing marriages like Jane and Alec's where one spouse completely controlled the other made me so grateful for the genuine love and attraction between myself and my husband.

"I won't bounce back so quickly anymore, and five is an egregious number. Convince my lady in waiting or Tanya to have another one, and we can spoil it like we spoil Rhys and Ruslan."

"You don't need to bounce back from anything, your body is perfect at every size." Edward was always exceedingly complimentary when he was in the mood, and his insistence plus acute baby fever was what had led to Tilly.

"Watch your hands with my sister!" Emmett called out loudly from a few chairs over, and I couldn't hold back a giggle as Edward made a very rude gesture in return. Being married, being a Queen, being a mother – all of it had made me appreciate moments like this one where I could simply be Bella, relaxing with my friends and my husband without a care in the world.

"Don't you want more nieces and nephews, Emmett?" Ines asked innocently, and when we all stared at her Jacob cleared his throat.

"Not yet, not us." It had taken me a long time to truly feel comfortable around Jacob again, and Edward still didn't care for him overly much. But we were family, and when we were all together everyone got along just fine.

"I don't need to be an uncle again, I'm going to be a Dad." Emmett crowed, and immediately all eyes were drawn to him and Rosalie, who sighed wistfully.

"Emmett only told you because I was going to make you eat a baby-themed dinner tomorrow and he didn't like that idea. But yes, apparently, we have not been as careful recently and we're about six months away from our final child." She leveled a playful glare at Emmett as she spoke, and then he pulled her into a kiss. Then Vera cleared her throat.

"Well, then we will be pregnant together Rosalie, because I'm two months in to my final child as well." We all paused a moment, as the tone of the announcement was entirely different, then Vera sighed and gave a small smile.

"We're happy, and I'm not nearly as nauseous so hopefully this one will be a girl."

"Congratulations to you both" a more than slightly intoxicated Jasper cheered, raised his glass, and downed it, and those of us who weren't pregnant did the same. As we all drank together, I let myself lean back and just enjoy being held by my husband and surrounded by my dearest friends.

 **25 Years Later**

"Their Royal Highness, King Edward and Queen Isabella of Great Britain, accompanied by their four children, Prince Edmund, Prince Oliver, Princess Eleanor, and presenting Princess Matilda."

I descended the stairs, my hand held aloft by Edward, walking slowly. Behind me, Edmund escorted Eleanor down the stairs, and behind them Oliver escorted Matilda. I didn't need to look to know that Tilly would be beaming, blue eyes sparkling. Since she'd turned 17, she'd been debating with her sister which event she wanted to make her formal debut at – and I should have known that Eleanor would steer her in the direction of a royal ball.

Neither Edward nor myself had particularly strong ties with anyone in Portugal – even Alice rarely visited her parents or brother anymore and her sister preferred to travel to Germany. However, her parents had been kind enough to invite the "most prominent" global royal families to their farewell ball as they prepared to pass on the throne. Thankfully, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy made the cut.

"You look absolutely stunning." It was Oliver that complimented me, as soon as we got to the bottom of the stairs, though Edward beamed at him. Edmund was too busy staring up the stairs as the Norwegian royal family descended. A few years previous Edward and I had gone on a diplomatic tour of Northern Europe and had taken Edmund and Eleanor. He thought we didn't notice, but Edmund had taken a liking to Princesses Astrid and Ingrid. At the time I hadn't encouraged it, but now he was twenty-two and tired of the way most of the English duchesses vied for his attention. As far as I could tell, as they were both older than him, neither of the Princesses really gave my son the time of day.

"You are, love." Edward interrupted my thoughts, snaking his arms around me and pulling me around in a circle.

"Da - Father, will you dance with me first? After Mother?" Tilly smiled at the two of us. I glanced up to see that Eleanor was gone, most likely already seeking out Augusta and Marina. As both Rosalie and Alice had predicted, my daughter had grown tired of the boys' games one day and had become very close to Augusta and Marina. Luckily, Marina and Augusta's wilder sides kept Eleanor from being too much like her mother – they reminded her to take a moment and have some fun every once in a while, to not always take herself so seriously.

"Are you going to dance with Louis after?" Oliver teased Tilly, who craned her head to glance around the room before hushing her brother with a high-heeled stomp to his toes.

"Manners, Matilda." Edward immediately corrected her, though he was dangerously close to breaking decorum himself as his hand slid down my low back.

"Sorry, Father." Tilly immediately straightened up, smoothing back an errant blonde curl. She only grew blonder as she got older, and she beamed every time her English grandparents showed her pictures of her late aunt or called her Matilda Katherine – the only two to use her full name.

"Oliver, don't tease your sister. She and Louis are very excited for their debut year." I felt it was only fair to admonish them both, but Oliver merely smiled. I know that Tilly had no particularly strong feelings for Vera's redheaded charmer of a son – and I also knew that Louis idolized Oliver, and was much more likely to seek out Oliver's time than Tilly's.

"Mother, if Matilda is going to take Father's first dance, I think it's only fair that I get yours."

"Actually, I believe I have the right to request that honor." I turned to face Emmett, fighting the urge to hug my elder brother and his wife.

"You look beautiful, Isabella." Rosalie beamed at me, and had to hold in a giggle. Rosalie had an entire team who seemed to work tirelessly to make sure that she barely aged. Without anything surgical, Rosalie looked at least a decade younger than the rest of us, and had recently been crowned by a global magazine publication as "the most beautiful royal in the world."

"Thank you. As do you, Rosalie." I smiled.

"Marina and Eleanor seem to have discovered the Spanish Princes." Rosalie smiled at me knowingly, while I fought a frown.

"Those boys are twenty-seven. Our daughters are nineteen."

"Which boys?" Emmett and Edward had immediately leaned in to discuss politics, but at the word boys both men turned to glance at us. Rosalie laughed.

"Marina is twenty, and a crown is a crown, Isabella. There aren't many future Kings their age. Pity that Napoleon and Eleanor are so closely related, and Augusta has her own country to rule. I would have loved to see a close friend as Queen when Emmett and I are done one day."

"You've barely gotten started." I smiled. It had only been four years since my father and mother had finally abdicated the throne and, a year later, divorced. It had been a trying time for everyone in our family, and Edward's patience as I constantly flew between Great Britain and Italy was saintly. Oliver Charles, who had always been his Grandfather's favorite despite looking exactly like Edward, had lived with his Grandfather in the transition from married King to single Duke. Of course, then my father had reconnected with the widowed Lady Susanna and suddenly didn't need a grandson cramping his style. It worked out well, because even my most patient child had gotten tired of my father's weekly Saturday fishing trip.

"Well, still. You know, Napoleon told me the other day that he thinks that Vanya, Jane's daughter, is very pretty. I nearly screamed. Imagine being in-laws with Jane."

"How did he even meet Vanya?" Edward asked, frowning. Bulgaria was seeing a financial upturn in recent years. Though I still wasn't fond of Jane, she had really been steering the country well, even if Alec got most of the credit. But they didn't do enough business with Great Britain for us to ever visit them, and I couldn't imagine they'd done more with Italy.

"Online, mother." Oliver cut in, with an eye roll. Emmett chuffed him affectionately over the head at his tone, and then quickly dropped his hand and glanced around with a smile to see if he'd been caught.

"Hmm, does she have a strong social presence?" I asked.

"Oh Bella, haven't you heard? Apparently Vanya of Bulgaria is quite the darling little socialite. According to Vera, Jane is dying to send her to France or Italy."

"She wants to make a love match with Napoleon or Louis?" Edward guessed.

"No, a friendship match with Marina." Though only twenty, Marina more than any of our children was content to follow exactly in her mother's footsteps. Though her hair was closer to Emmett's light brown than her mother's blonde, Marina had cultivated exactly the social life and reputation in Italy that her mother had in France, complete with her own small group of close friends she spent her time with when she wasn't with Augusta or Eleanor.

"Well, you'll never leave us, right Oliver?" My middle son flushed hard – the only trait he seemed to have inherited from me – and glared at his Dad.

"Maybe I'll become the King of Germany." He arched an eyebrow and I suppressed a laugh. Augusta had been dating the same German man for three years – a lesser nobleman who was nevertheless well respected in the country. Edward shrugged.

"Perhaps you will." I saw a look pass between them, and made a mental note to ask my husband about it later.

"Queen Isabella, so good to see you." The moment was broken as a dignitary I only vaguely remembered meeting bobbed a quick curtsy to me. My children immediately fell quiet and stepped away from us as she curtsied to me, Emmett, and Rosalie as well.

"You as well. Are you enjoying the festivities?" Edward slid a formal hand to my back as we both set in for the conversation – our free time over.

I knew that in an hour or two there might be a lull again where I could grab Alice and Jasper and tease them about Rudolf dying his dark hair blonde – which had not gone over well – or congratulate Vera and Henri about the way that Louis was already adapting to global politics, or joke with Rosalie and Emmett about who they would prefer become the future Queen of Italy, or listen to them all matchmake my children with everyone and anyone under thirty. Over the years I'd learned how to take advantage of every moment where I could fully relax and shake off the weight of expectation and propriety. But in that moment, it was time for Edward and Bella to once again behave as the King and Queen of Great Britain. With Edward by my side, that was more than fine by me.

List of Children and Ages – 25 Years Later

Edward and Bella: Edmund William (22), Oliver Charles (20), Eleanor Anne (19), Matilda Katherine (17)

Jasper and Alice: Augusta (20), Rudolf (16)

Emmett and Rosalie: Napoleon Victor (21), Marina Leonor (20), Amadeo Frederick (14)

Henri and Vera: Louis (17), Blanche (13)

Jacob and Ines: Santiago (20), Sebastian (20), Sofia (14)

Benjamin and Angela: Rhys (16), Matteo (12)

Pasha and Tanya: Ruslan (18)

Alec and Jane: Konstantin (21), Vanya (19), Stephen (17)

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for taking this journey with me. All of the reviews, and jokes, and even your frustration with Bella has been so much fun for me to read, and so helpful as an author. Right now, I'm taking a break to focus on my original fiction, but I've written about 10 chapters of a Mob fic - another genre I've never worked in before - and it won't leave me alone. If this Bella was a bit too meek or mild for you, you'll probably like the one in the mob fic a lot more. So far she's very calculated, opinionated, and driven. I grew up outside of Chicago and had friends who had friends/family "in the family" and got to see what it can be like when you're not at the ~glamorous~ levels (no such thing), plus for some reason there's a LOT more information available online about the Chicago Outfit than I expected. No word on when I'll be ready to start uploading it regularly, but let me know if you guys want to see a chapter just to get a feel.**

 **If you want to follow my original fic, you can find me on my author instagram chiobasiwrites**

 **Thank you one more time! This community has fueled my writing through what has been one of the most trying years of my life, and I love you all for it!**


End file.
